Notebookcheck Logo

Intel Core i5-9400H vs Intel Core i5-8259U vs Intel Core i5-8279U

Intel Core i5-9400H

► remove from comparison Intel i5-9400H

The Intel Core i5-9400H is a high-end processor for laptops with four cores based on the Coffee Lake architecture (2019 refresh, CFL-HR). The processor clocks at between 2.5 and 4.3 GHz (4.1 with 4 cores) and can execute up to eight threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. According to Intel, the CPU is manufactured in an improved 14nm (14nm++) process. Compared to the predecessor, the Core i5-8400H from 2018, the 9300H is only clocked slightly higher (+100 MHz CPU Turbo, +50 MHz GPU).

The Coffee Lake architecture is similar to Kaby Lake and differs only in the amount of cores (now six cores for the high end versions) and the improved 14nm process (14nm++ according to Intel).

Performance

The Intel Core i5-9400H should perform similar as the older Core i7-7920HQ (3.1 - 4.1 GHz). The faster Coffee Lake CPUs, like the Core i7-9750H offers two additional cores and is therefore up to 50% faster in multithreaded benchmarks. Still, the performance of the i5-9400H should be sufficient for even demanding applications and games.

Graphics

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 iGPU is supposed to offer a slightly higher performance as its clock rate has been increased by 50 MHz. The architecture is identical to that of the Intel HD Graphics 630. We do expect a performance improvement, but as a low-end solution it will probably only display current games smoothly at reduced details - if at all.

Power Consumption

Intel specifies the TDP with 45 watts and therefore the i5 is only suited for big laptops with good cooling solutions. Using cTDP-down, the CPU can also be configured to 35 Watt resulting in a reduced performance.

Beware, the CPU was not yet released at the time of writing and the information is based on leaks and early price list information (e.g. by Intel or on Baidu).

Intel Core i5-8259U

► remove from comparison

The Intel Core i5-8259U is a quad-core SoC for notebooks based on the Coffee Lake architecture and was announced in April 2018. Compared to its predecessor Core i5-7267U, the CPU is now a quad-core with Hyperthreading support for the execution of up to 8 threads simultaneously. The base frequency is 2.3 GHz, but the Turbo goes all the way up to 3.8 GHz. It is also equipped with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU with 128 MB eDRAM, a dual-channel memory controller (DDR4) as well as VP9 and H.265 video decoding as well as encoding. The chip is still manufactured in a 14nm process with FinFET transistors.

Compared to faster Core i5 and i7 models with eDRAM and 28 Watts, the i5-8259U only features 6 MB smart cache and the slowest clock of the Iris Plus GPU.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Kaby Lake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

Considering the clocks of the Core i5-8259U, its performance should be between the 15W models Core i5-8350U and Core i7-8550U. The i5-8259U should still be faster than the i7-8550U in practice thanks to the increased TDP, especially during sustained workloads.

Graphics

The integrated Intel Iris Plus 655 Graphics is the GT3e model of the Kaby Lake GPU (Intel Gen. 9.5). It has 48 Execution Units running at 300-1050 MHz (slowest clock of the 655, the fastest is 1200 MHz in combination with the i7-8559U) and the performance is comparable to a GeForce 930M or 940MX thanks to fast eDRAM cache. However, there aren't any significant improvements compared to the old Iris Plus 650, so modern games can often not be played smoothly or only at the lowest or medium settings, respectively.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency even further. Intel specifies the TDP with 28 Watts, which can be reduced to 23 Watts (cTDP Down) depending on the usage scenario. The TDP is pretty high compared to the common 15-Watt TDP for quad-core processors, but allows a better utilization of CPU and GPU Turbo.

Intel Core i5-8279U

► remove from comparison

The Intel Core i5-8279U is a quad-core SoC for notebooks based on the Coffee Lake architecture and was announced in the first quarter of 2019. Compared to its predecessor Core i5-7287U, the CPU is now a quad-core with Hyperthreading support for the execution of up to 8 threads simultaneously. The base frequency is 2.4 GHz, but the Turbo goes all the way up to 4.1 GHz. It is also equipped with an Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU with 128 MB eDRAM, a dual-channel memory controller (DDR4) as well as VP9 and H.265 video decoding as well as encoding. The chip is still manufactured in a 14nm process with FinFET transistors. 

Compared to faster Core i7 model (e.g. Core i7-8559U) with eDRAM and 28 Watts, the i5-8279U only features 6 MB smart cache and a slower clock of the Iris Plus GPU.

Architecture

Intel basically uses the same micro architecture compared to Kaby Lake, so the per-MHz performance does not differ. The manufacturer only reworked the Speed Shift technology for faster dynamic adjustments of voltages and clocks, and the improved 14nm process allows much higher frequencies combined with better efficiency than before.

Performance

Considering the clocks of the Core i5-8259U, its performance should be between above the 15W model Core i7-8650U. The i5-82769U should still be faster than the i7-8650U in practice thanks to the increased TDP, especially during sustained workloads. Compared to the similar named Intel Core i5-8269U, the 8279U offers a slightly lower performance (-200 MHz Turbo, -100 MHz base) although the name suggests otherwise.

Graphics

The integrated Intel Iris Plus 655 Graphics is the GT3e model of the Kaby Lake GPU (Intel Gen. 9.5). It has 48 Execution Units running at 300-1150 MHz and the performance is comparable to a GeForce 930M or 940MX thanks to fast eDRAM cache. However, there aren't any significant improvements compared to the old Iris Plus 650, so modern games can often not be played smoothly or only at the lowest or medium settings, respectively.

Contrary to Skylake, Kaby lake now also supports H.265/HEVC Main 10 with a 10-bit color depth as well as Google's VP9 codec. The dual-core Kaby Lake processors announced in January should also support HDCP 2.2.

Power Consumption

The chip is manufactured in an improved 14nm process with FinFET transistors, which improves the efficiency even further. Intel specifies the TDP with 28 Watts, which can be reduced to 23 Watts (cTDP Down) depending on the usage scenario. The TDP is pretty high compared to the common 15-Watt TDP for quad-core processors, but allows a better utilization of CPU and GPU Turbo.

ModelIntel Core i5-9400HIntel Core i5-8259UIntel Core i5-8279U
SeriesIntel Coffee LakeIntel Coffee LakeIntel Coffee Lake
CodenameCoffee Lake-HCoffee Lake-UCoffee Lake-U
Series: Coffee Lake Coffee Lake-U
Intel Core i9-9980HK2.4 - 5 GHz8 / 16 cores16 MB L3
Intel Core i9-9880H2.3 - 4.8 GHz8 / 16 cores16 MB L3
Intel Core i9-8950HK2.9 - 4.8 GHz6 / 12 cores12 MB L3
Intel Xeon E-2186M2.9 - 4.8 GHz6 / 12 cores12 MB L3
Intel Xeon E-2276M2.8 - 4.7 GHz6 / 12 cores12 MB L3
Intel Core i7-9850H2.6 - 4.6 GHz6 / 12 cores12 MB L3
Intel Core i7-9750H2.6 - 4.5 GHz6 / 12 cores12 MB L3
Intel Xeon E-2176M2.7 - 4.4 GHz6 / 12 cores12 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8850H2.6 - 4.3 GHz6 / 12 cores9 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8750H2.2 - 4.1 GHz6 / 12 cores9 MB L3
Intel Core i5-9400H « 2.5 - 4.3 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-9300HF2.4 - 4.1 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-9300H2.4 - 4.1 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8400H2.5 - 4.2 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8300H2.3 - 4 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i3-8100H3 GHz4 / 4 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8559U2.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8557U1.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8269U2.6 - 4.2 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8279U2.4 - 4.1 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8259U « 2.3 - 3.8 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8257U1.4 - 3.9 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i3-8109U3 - 3.6 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8559U2.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i7-8557U1.7 - 4.5 GHz4 / 8 cores8 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8269U2.6 - 4.2 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8279U « 2.4 - 4.1 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8259U2.3 - 3.8 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i5-8257U1.4 - 3.9 GHz4 / 8 cores6 MB L3
Intel Core i3-8109U3 - 3.6 GHz2 / 4 cores4 MB L3
Clock2500 - 4300 MHz2300 - 3800 MHz2400 - 4100 MHz
L1 Cache256 KB256 KB256 KB
L2 Cache1 MB1 MB1 MB
L3 Cache8 MB6 MB6 MB
Cores / Threads4 / 84 / 84 / 8
TDP45 Watt28 Watt28 Watt
Technology14 nm14 nm14 nm
SocketFCBGA1440FCBGA1528FCBGA1528
FeaturesDual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NIDual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI, Intel SSE4.1, Intel SSE 4.2Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, AVX2, Quick Sync, Virtualization, AES-NI, Intel SSE4.1, Intel SSE 4.2
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 630 (350 - 1100 MHz)Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 (300 - 1050 MHz)Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 (300 - 1150 MHz)
Architecturex86x86x86
Announced
max. Temp.100 °C100 °C
Manufacturerark.intel.comark.intel.com

Benchmarks

Performance Rating - CB R15 + R20 + 7-Zip + X265 + Blender + 3DM11 CPU - i5-8259U
27.6 pt (38%)
Cinebench R23 - Cinebench R23 Multi Core
min: 3592     avg: 3792     median: 3728 (3%)     max: 4025 Points
Cinebench R23 - Cinebench R23 Single Core
min: 959     avg: 976     median: 976.5 (42%)     max: 991 Points
Cinebench R20 - Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
min: 369     avg: 378     median: 381 (42%)     max: 386 Points
421 Points (47%)
Cinebench R20 - Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
min: 1385     avg: 1473     median: 1471 (4%)     max: 1567 Points
1717 Points (4%)
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
823 Points (5%)
min: 575     avg: 622     median: 615 (4%)     max: 687 Points
min: 743     avg: 750     median: 750 (5%)     max: 757 Points
Cinebench R15 - Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64 Bit
min: 132     avg: 147.1     median: 148.7 (45%)     max: 154 Points
min: 166     avg: 167.5     median: 167.5 (50%)     max: 169 Points
Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64 Bit
9.4 Points (12%)
7.1 Points (9%)
Cinebench R11.5 - Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64 Bit
1.7 Points (42%)
1.9 Points (48%)
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (32bit)
5706 Points (34%)
6551 Points (40%)
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (32bit)
21869 Points (16%)
24096 Points (17%)
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Multi (64bit)
27377 Points (19%)
Cinebench R10 - Cinebench R10 Rend. Single (64bit)
7397 Points (9%)
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 1024m *
248.6 s (3%)
wPrime 2.10 - wPrime 2.0 32m *
7.5 s (2%)
WinRAR - WinRAR 4.0
5348 Points (8%)
5862 Points (9%)
7-Zip 18.03 - 7-Zip 18.03 Multli Thread 4 runs
min: 17799     avg: 20778     median: 19104.5 (11%)     max: 28824 MIPS
22683 MIPS (13%)
7-Zip 18.03 - 7-Zip 18.03 Single Thread 4 runs
min: 3753     avg: 3949     median: 3975.5 (48%)     max: 4022 MIPS
4276 MIPS (51%)
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - x264 Pass 2
min: 38.5     avg: 39.5     median: 39.5 (14%)     max: 40.5 fps
45.7 fps (16%)
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 - x264 Pass 1
min: 162.3     avg: 165.1     median: 165.1 (38%)     max: 167.95 fps
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - HWBOT x265 4k Preset
min: 4.72     avg: 5.2     median: 5.4 (9%)     max: 5.49 fps
6 fps (11%)
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt Serpent
0.5 GB/s (0%)
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt Twofish
0.8 GB/s (13%)
TrueCrypt - TrueCrypt AES
4.1 GB/s (11%)
Blender - Blender 3.3 Classroom CPU *
1331 Seconds (17%)
Blender - Blender 2.79 BMW27 CPU *
min: 688     avg: 730     median: 729.5 (5%)     max: 769 Seconds
627 Seconds (4%)
R Benchmark 2.5 - R Benchmark 2.5 *
min: 0.738     avg: 0.8     median: 0.8 (17%)     max: 0.818 sec
3DMark 06 - CPU - 3DMark 06 - CPU
7916 Points (17%)
8830 Points (19%)
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M *
11.1 s (2%)
Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 2M *
24.3 s (1%)
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 32M *
589 s (3%)
3DMark Vantage - 3DM Vant. Perf. CPU no Physx
25093 Points (22%)
3DMark 11 - 3DM11 Performance Physics
min: 7105     avg: 8348     median: 8528.5 (23%)     max: 9276 Points
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Physics
min: 47878     avg: 49579     median: 49578.5 (40%)     max: 51279 Points
21476 Points (17%)
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme Physics
min: 47855     avg: 49509     median: 49509 (40%)     max: 51163 Points
21581 Points (18%)
3DMark - 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
min: 17718     avg: 40451     median: 49722 (42%)     max: 53914 Points
24185 Points (20%)
3DMark - 3DMark Cloud Gate Physics
min: 5946     avg: 6904     median: 6670.5 (17%)     max: 7927 Points
7017 Points (18%)
3DMark - 3DMark Fire Strike Standard Physics
min: 8348     avg: 9726     median: 9743 (17%)     max: 11006 Points
10411 Points (19%)
3DMark - 3DMark Time Spy CPU
min: 2752     avg: 3096     median: 3132 (13%)     max: 3346 Points
3439 Points (14%)
Geekbench 5.5 - Geekbench 5.1 - 5.4 64 Bit Single-Core
min: 948     avg: 961     median: 951 (40%)     max: 984 Points
Geekbench 5.5 - Geekbench 5.1 - 5.4 64 Bit Multi-Core
min: 3359     avg: 3602     median: 3607 (6%)     max: 3839 Points
Geekbench 5.0 - Geekbench 5.0 64 Bit Single-Core
min: 944     avg: 957     median: 948 (4%)     max: 979 Points
Geekbench 5.0 - Geekbench 5.0 64 Bit Multi-Core
min: 3335     avg: 3571     median: 3567 (11%)     max: 3811 Points
Geekbench 4.4 - Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 64 Bit Single-Core
min: 4200     avg: 4265     median: 4211 (42%)     max: 4383 Points
4850 Points (48%)
Geekbench 4.4 - Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 64 Bit Multi-Core
min: 13421     avg: 14122     median: 13961 (16%)     max: 14984 Points
17643 Points (20%)
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Kraken 1.1 Total Score *
min: 1010     avg: 1054     median: 1068 (1%)     max: 1095 ms
740 ms (1%)
Octane V2 - Octane V2 Total Score
44259 Points (40%)
WebXPRT 4 - WebXPRT 4 Score
140.3 Points (40%)
WebXPRT 3 - WebXPRT 3 Score
min: 173.3     avg: 176.9     median: 176 (37%)     max: 182.4 Points
CrossMark - CrossMark Overall
954 Points (37%)
Power Consumption - Prime95 Power Consumption - external Monitor *
min: 36.1     avg: 42     median: 39.5 (7%)     max: 50.3 Watt
Power Consumption - Cinebench R15 Multi Power Consumption - external Monitor *
min: 37.6     avg: 44.2     median: 43.7 (8%)     max: 51.3 Watt
Power Consumption - Idle Power Consumption - external Monitor *
13.9 Watt (9%)
Power Consumption - Cinebench R15 Multi Power Efficiency - external Monitor
min: 12.4     avg: 13.9     median: 13.9 (10%)     max: 15.3 Points per Watt

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i5-9400H → 100% n=2

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i5-8259U → 75% n=2

Average Benchmarks Intel Core i5-8279U → 89% n=2

- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance
1 This benchmark is not used for the average calculation

v1.26
log 29. 14:22:33

#0 checking url part for id 11354 +0s ... 0s

#1 checking url part for id 10068 +0s ... 0s

#2 checking url part for id 11503 +0s ... 0s

#3 not redirecting to Ajax server +0s ... 0s

#4 did not recreate cache, as it is less than 5 days old! Created at Thu, 28 Mar 2024 05:35:32 +0100 +0.001s ... 0.001s

#5 composed specs +0.028s ... 0.029s

#6 did output specs +0s ... 0.029s

#7 getting avg benchmarks for device 11354 +0.002s ... 0.032s

#8 got single benchmarks 11354 +0.008s ... 0.039s

#9 getting avg benchmarks for device 10068 +0.014s ... 0.053s

#10 got single benchmarks 10068 +0.015s ... 0.068s

#11 getting avg benchmarks for device 11503 +0.002s ... 0.07s

#12 got single benchmarks 11503 +0.006s ... 0.076s

#13 got avg benchmarks for devices +0s ... 0.076s

#14 min, max, avg, median took s +0.24s ... 0.317s

#15 return log +0s ... 0.317s

Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Benchmarks / Tech > Processor Comparison - Head 2 Head
Redaktion, 2017-09- 8 (Update: 2023-07- 1)