Intel Core i5-8400 vs Intel Core i7-2600

The Intel Core i5-8400 is based on the Coffee Lake S architecture and was developed for the mid-range desktop market.

Manufactured using a 14-nanometer process, this processor features six physical cores. In synthetic tests, the Intel Core i5-8400 shows significantly higher performance in both single-core and multi-core applications compared to the reference model. Thanks to support for PCIe 3.0 and a memory bandwidth of 43 GB/s, it is suitable for appropriate system configurations.

In games, the Intel Core i5-8400 delivers a more stable frame rate because the architecture works more efficiently. With a thermal design power of 65 watts, the energy requirement is moderate. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 offers basic graphical functions with 9 MB Level 3 cache and 0 MB Level 2 cache.

For a balanced ratio between cost and technology, this processor is a solid choice. The Intel Core i7-2600 comes from the Sandy Bridge S generation and was originally designed for demanding users.

It is manufactured using the 32-nanometer process and offers four cores with a total of eight threads through Hyper-Threading. Despite the higher thread count, the performance in synthetic tests lags significantly behind the comparison model. Support for PCIe 2.0 and a lower memory bandwidth of 17 GB/s limit data throughput when using hardware components.

In games, the Intel Core i7-2600 achieves lower speeds due to the older architecture. The thermal design power is 95 watts, which requires appropriate cooling. It includes Intel HD Graphics 2000 for basic image output and 1 MB Level 2 cache. On the used market, this processor can be found cheaply, but offers lower efficiency for demanding software requirements compared to newer systems.