Question Why is an i5 with higher clock speeds worse than a i7?

[h0pT0 Gaming]

This is what I found:
https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-9700F-vs-Intel-Core-i5-7640X/m816132vsm310543

i7: 8 Cores, 8 Threads 3 GHz
i5: 4 Cores, 4 Threads 4.00 GHz

I get that the i7 has more cores and is more efficient. But surely the i5 is better because of its clock speeds.

Is it because people want a CPU that doesn't get as hot so easily?

You might say "It's better because it has more cores", but doesn't the game or software have to be optimised for CPUs with more cores. Because I thought a lot of games or software haven't been optimised to the point where you can fully take advantage of your extra cores. Meaning that even if you had a 16 core CPU, you wouldn't be able to have your CPU reach its fullest potential.

Most of the things I've said I can't fully backup with evidence, so if I'm wrong I'm happy for you to correct me.

 

[rolli59]

The I7 has more threads so it can handle more workload. Userbenchmarks are based on overall not just single thread where the I5 has the win.

 

[bmockeg]

This is what I found:
https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-9700F-vs-Intel-Core-i5-7640X/m816132vsm310543

i7: 8 Cores, 8 Threads 3 GHz
i5: 4 Cores, 4 Threads 4.00 GHz

I get that the i7 has more cores and is more efficient. But surely the i5 is better because of its clock speeds.

Is it because people want a CPU that doesn't get as hot so easily?

You might say "It's better because it has more cores", but doesn't the game or software have to be optimised for CPUs with more cores. Because I thought a lot of games or software haven't been optimised to the point where you can fully take advantage of your extra cores. Meaning that even if you had a 16 core CPU, you wouldn't be able to have your CPU reach its fullest potential.

Most of the things I've said I can't fully backup with evidence, so if I'm wrong I'm happy for you to correct me.

New technology and improvements cause increase in IPC(instructions per clock). This is why AMD is competitive with Intel while the AMD top CPUs max out at 4.0-4.2Ghz while Intel is around 5.0. AMD has better IPC than Intel. Each new chip is more advanced in more ways than just clock speed.

Also, a game doesn’t necessarily have to be optimized for more cores for them to be effective. Your computer does more than run the game, there are other tasks in the background. A 4 core CPU has to run Windows, the game and any background tasks in 4 cores where an 8 core can separate the workload and give the game 4 dedicated cores, making those 4 cores more effective.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Although you have some points, you are also correct in that they are not accurate.

Yes, most new software/games, and all coming down the line, can make use of more cores/threads.

Also, you are looking at the base speeds for each processor.

You need to compare Boost frequencies. For the i7 it's 4.7ghz, versus 4.2 for the I5. That's why the I7 (along with more cores) will stomp all over the I5.

 

[extreme_noob]

Userbenchmark is widely known (at least in the AMD community) to be garbage. It can't handle multiple cores correctly and rates a threadripper and an i-9 as having lower performance than an i-3.

The i7 has more cores and higher boost clock, along with better IPC, since it comes from a newer generation

 

[bmockeg]

I was about to follow up that the 9700f has a higher boost speed.

Although you have some points, you are also correct in that they are not accurate.

Yes, most new software/games, and all coming down the line, can make use of more cores/threads.

Also, you are looking at the base speeds for each processor.

You need to compare Boost frequencies. For the i7 it's 4.7ghz, versus 4.2 for the I5. That's why the I7 (along with more cores) will stomp all over the I5.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

The I7 has more threads so it can handle more workload. Userbenchmarks are based on overall not just single thread where the I5 has the win.

How does the I5, maxing out at 4.2 boost, have better single thread performance than the 9700 at 4.7?

 

[h0pT0 Gaming]

New technology and improvements cause increase in IPC(instructions per clock). This is why AMD is competitive with Intel while the AMD top CPUs max out at 4.0-4.2Ghz while Intel is around 5.0. AMD has better IPC than Intel. Each new chip is more advanced in more ways than just clock speed.

Also, a game doesn’t necessarily have to be optimized for more cores for them to be effective. Your computer does more than run the game, there are other tasks in the background. A 4 core CPU has to run Windows, the game and any background tasks in 4 cores where an 8 core can separate the workload and give the game 4 dedicated cores, making those 4 cores more effective.

Thanks for your reply!

Is that why on the website, it says the i7 is more of a "workstation", because it can multi-thread, has more cores so can execute more tasks at once and is more efficient at doing it?

 

[extreme_noob]

Thanks for your reply!

Is that why on the website, it says the i7 is more of a "workstation", because it can multi-thread, has more cores so can execute more tasks at once and is more efficient at doing it?

That's a generalization of what i7's used to be.
Now the i7 9700K and 9700F are both 8c8t CPUs, meaning they do not have multithreading, since each core has one thread. Now that "workstation" position has been taken by the i9 for the most part in intel's lineup.

 

[h0pT0 Gaming]

Although you have some points, you are also correct in that they are not accurate.

Yes, most new software/games, and all coming down the line, can make use of more cores/threads.

Also, you are looking at the base speeds for each processor.

You need to compare Boost frequencies. For the i7 it's 4.7ghz, versus 4.2 for the I5. That's why the I7 (along with more cores) will stomp all over the I5.

Wow yes, I forgot that the website doesn't include boost frequencies.

 

[geofelt]

On the l9nked web site, I note that the i5-7640x has a high variability in the score distribution.
That suggests to me that some sort of overclocking is going on.
A different comparison comes from passmark.
i7-9700F has a rating of 16523 and a single thread rating of 2717
The i5-7640 has a rating of 9440/2449. Clearly not as good.
Which do you believe??