In our previous posts we talked about Intel i5, i3 processors for gaming and which CPU suits your budget best and complies with your needs. We also how reviewed about the Intel Core i3-8100 and how it qualifies as the best budget gaming processor. Specifically for players on a tight budget and who requires moderate gaming settings. In todays post we will raise our budget bar a bit higher and focus on Intel Core i7 vs i5, for those of us who can spend a bit more for processing. And for those who hope to use their rig for more than just gaming.
In the recent past before the i9 most users were prone to believe that i7 is the answer to all things processing. However that perspective seems to have shifted among the majority as of present. A stream of terminology surfaces as you struggle to choose the best bang for buck CPU for your build. Number of cores/ threads, cache memory, overclocking, Hyper-threading, Clock speeds are few of those beginners.
Terminology Recap
Before proceeding to the actual intel i7 vs i5 comparison lets have a quick recap with the terminology, help understand what’s really behind the working of the CPU.
Cores
Most of the CPUs from the 8th and 9th gen posses at least 4 cores. The higher the number of cores the higher the processing power. This can serve you well if your intention isn’t purely gaming. Many applications for 3D rendering and graphics designing, software developing require CPUs with good processing power.
However most users are contented with 4 cores. Others who plan on using the PC for more advanced workloads go for 6 cores and 8 cores, found in the latest gen i7 and i5 processors. The only idea here is to go for a higher model number on either one.
Threads and hyper-threading
Same as cores, more threads means higher processing power. Most 6 core CPUs have 6 threads. Some latest gen CPUs have up to 12 threads. Hyper-threading is used to amplify processing power for tasks that require multi threads. Tasks such as video rendering, developing requires this. Hyper threading makes the applications believe that there are more cores present in the CPU.
Cache memeory
Simply detailed this is the on chip memory. This type of memory assists the CPU to deal with frequently accessed tasks. It can be updating data in a word document, browsing same web pages etc. The tasks will be more instantaneous with higher cache memory and generally for Intel Core i7 vs i5, i7 has the upper hand.
i5 vs i7 8th Gen
To begin our comparison of the two processors lets start from the sweet spot for many users. The 8th generation of Intel processors. A common misconception is that i7 is better than i5 just because of the number of cores. Truthfully both the 8th gen processors have 4 cores. But how does one triumph over the other? First lets take a look at the specifications of both the CPUs.
We will layout the basic CPU configurations for both. We will examine the Intel Core i5-8250U and Core i7-8550U. Both have quad-cores and eight thread. However the clock speeds aren’t identical. The i5 clocks out at 1.6GHz while the i7 clocks out at 1.8GHz. And the i7’s cache memory is 8MB while the i5 has only 6MB.
So you can clearly see that the i7 is ahead of the i5. Hence performing better in most benchmark tests such as Geekbench 4, HandBrake. These tests examine a processors overall ability, video transcoding etc. However what must be mentioned is that the i7 was only a minutely faster in these tests. Meaning it isn’t a great leap forward from the i5.
The Intel Core i5-8400 however is way powerful than the i5-8250U and Core i7-8550U. With 6 cores and 12 threads with clock speed of 4.00 GHz it delivers far greater processing power than both the U CPUs. Can only be matched to the i7-8750H CPU with similar specs but with a higher clock speed. Slight though(4.1GHz). Nonetheless if you are planning on Intel Core i7 vs i5 for the U type CPUs I’d suggest going with the i5. As the i7 isn’t a great leap forward in benchmark tests. But only if you are into moderate gaming. If not the i7 will actually help in heavier workloads.
i5 vs i7 9th Gen
Now the much discussed 9th gen CPUs. Highly recommend to check out our post on the i5 CPUs for gaming. We talked about the 9400F, 9600K CPUs in a gaming perspective. Both with 6 cores and 6 threads with 2.9GHz and 3.7GHz clock speeds. The equivalent i7 rivals here are the 9750H and the overclocking 9700K. Although we used the term equivalent the i7 is actually a bit ahead.
The 9700K therefore outperforms all the rest(short of the i9). The prime feature that amplifies the i7 value is the ability of Hyper0Threading. Increasing the processor power and thus making it famous among most high-end PC builds. For they are mostly built for the purpose of multitasking. And generally these softwares require a great deal of processing power. However all these CPUs posses the same integrated GPU.
i5 vs i7 10th Gen
The two CPUs in comparison here are the comet lake processors i7-10510U and i5-10210U. Both features 4 cores and 8 threads with base frequencies 1.8 and 1.6GHz respectively. The cache memory for the i7 is a bit higher though. 8MB vs 6MB. RAM support is almost identical. The i7 with DDR4-2666; LPDDR3-2133, i5 with DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133.
The interesting fact here is that the i7 outperforms the i5 minutely. Meaning there is no significant performance leap just as in the 8th gen U CPUs. In the Cinebench 15 CPU test the i7 outranked the i5 only by 10%, but the price difference is much higher. Therefore don’t waste your money on an i7 for a biased ratio of budget to performance. However the Core i7-10710U is a new level. With 6 cores and 12 threads it definitely is a leap forward. So is the i7-10850H, i7-10700 with 8 cores and 12 threads.
i7 vs i5 Gaming
Now comes the tricky part where we budget gamers have to make a solid decision based mainly on gaming. But who wouldn’t like a CPU that supports other workloads as well? In our earlier post we talked about the Intel i5–9400F, 9600K CPUs. 6 cores and 6 threads paired with maximum clock speeds of 4.6GHz is ultra-optimum for quality gaming. Anything beyond this will provide less value for the money you are investing.
Because the money you save with the CPU can be invested for a better GPU, Storage that will collectively work for higher gaming quality. Therefore an i5-9600K or a 9400F will best suit yo if you are on a budget and still wants better FPS and game quality.
The i7 on the other hand can be used for gaming and some other workloads like transcoding, 3D rendering. Overall for applications that demand higher processing power. With 8 cores and 8 threads combined with 4.9GHz it leaps the FPS count. Then again it is not a GIANT leap forward from the i5. But the case of Hyper-threading as we mentioned earlier adds value.
With the i7-8700K, 9700 you are much future-proofed. More game developers are upgrading features and trying to keep up with the ever growing resolutions, graphic enhancements. Therefore the thought for i7 is that it supports additional workloads like streaming, 3D rendering stuff. Not that the i5 doesn’t! but the i7 with its additional cores does it better.
Conclusion
Now that we have introduced many CPUs of the Intel i5 and i7 in the 8th, 9th and 10th generations, the choice clearly depends on your personal requirements. As a word of advice, If your intentions are pure gaming then don’t bother yourself with the i7. The i5 offers just as much as value and game quality.
But if you plan to have no further upgrades for a reasonable amount of time and requires heavy processing then consider the i7. The additional cores and hyper threading will undoubtedly serve you well both in gaming and other heavy workloads.
