A processor is an integrated electronic circuit installed within a computer and performs the calculations that help run a computer. In this article, we are reviewing the best affordable 6-core processor ever designed, Intel 8th Gen Core i5 8400, and this time, the processor is from Intel. The device carries a price tag of $182, which is even more reasonable than the Ryzen 5 1600 that can cost you $215. However, it lacks Hyperthreading and cannot be overclocked.
For beginners, both AMD and Intel have flooded the tech market with an absolute variety of decent alternatives. Also, simultaneous multithreading and hyper-threading have allowed the latest processors to benefit from double threads with similar core counts, enhancing performance in specific areas by letting the processor perform additional tasks concurrently.
The Intel 8th Gen Core i5 8400 is a very effective budget gaming processor. Consequently, it will not be easier for you to find one at the suggested price. Or, if you will be able to source one, it is possible that you will pay a bit more than its market price as there is not a huge amount of stock remaining. Following are details of this powerful processor
Specifications
- Processor Number: i5-8400
- of Threads: 6
- of Cores: 6
- Maximum turbo frequency: 4.00 GHz
- Processor Base Frequency: 2.80 GHz
- TDP: 65 W
- Bus Speed: 8 GT/s DMI3
- Cache: 9 MB Smart Cache
- Embedded Options Available: No
- 4K Support: Yes, at 60Hz
- Graphics Video Maximum Memory: 64 GB
- PCI Express Revision 3.0
- Package Size: 37.5mm x 37.5mm
At the time of launch, Intel was releasing a six-core i5 chip which was somewhat a wow factor. An Intel Turbo Boost clock of 4.0GHz, 6-cores, and an affordable price tag, the i5 8400 was a competitor to AMD Ryzen 5 as it had a huge difference in performance if compared with the previous generation of Intel.
Above all, the integrated graphics made the Intel 8th Gen Core i5 8400 a good pick for IT professionals, whereas the enhanced performance ranked it as one of the best budget gaming processors on the market.
Comparison with Similar Devices
| Used – Intel Core i5 8th Gen | Used – Intel Core i5-8600K Coffee Lake 3.6 GHz LGA 1151 | Used – Intel Core i5 9600 | Used – Intel Core 8th Gen i5-8600 | Intel Core i5-8400 Coffee Lake 6-Cores | |
| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | UHD Graphics 630 | UHD Graphics 630 | UHD Graphics 630 | UHD Graphics 630 |
| Thermal Design Power | 95W | 95W | 65W | 65W | 65W |
| Core Name | Coffee Lake | Coffee Lake | Coffee Lake | Coffee Lake | Coffee Lake |
| Model | CM8068403358508 | BX80684I58600K | BX80684i59600 | BX80684I58600 | BX80684I58400 |
| No. of Cores | 6-Core | 6-Core | 6-Core | 6-Core | 6-Core |
| CPU Socket Type | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 (300 Series) | LGA 1151 (300 Series | LGA 1151 (300 Series) | LGA 1151 (300 Series) |
| Operating Frequency | 3.6 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.1 GHz | 3.1 GHz | 2.8 GHz |
| Name | Core i5-8600K | Core i5-8600K | Core i5-9600 | Core i5-8600 | Core i5-8400 |
| Price | $229.99 | $207.62 | $256.55 | $201.99 | $249.66 |
Is It a Ryzen 5 Killer?
When we reviewed AMD ‘s Ryzen 2600X and 5 2600 processors, we called them Core i5 Intel Coffee Lake killers. To some extent, it is true. But when it comes to performance, they are not as fast as Core i5-8600K. The thing is, how do they stand competing against the Intel Core i5 processor, the i5-8400?
Priced very similar to its rival, the Intel 8th Gen Core i5 8400 processor might be a Ryzen 5 killer. On paper, the 8400 seems a bad deal if compared with AMD 2nd Generation Ryzen 5s. Also, despite having 6 cores, the 8400 only has 6 threads due to a lack of Hyper-Threading assistance.
Performance
There are some of the factors, such as what type of repositioning you have installed, the type of RAM, and graphics poster, that can impact your gaming performance. Consequently, getting an accurate picture of a processor’s bet on the process is sneaky, but we have done the best we can with the apparatus or gear available to us. We have included some Cinebench scores as an indicator of what every processor will be like for normal desktop tasks, but our main goal here is to work out what processor is the best for gaming alone. At 1080p, the Intel 8th Gen Core i5 8400 had a clear lead over Ryzen 5 2600 from AMD and 2600X in almost everything.
Benchmarks
We have tested the Core i5-8400 from Intel on a Z370 board by using DDR4-3200 RAM, but it is possible that when it is paired with a B360 motherboard, you will be restricted to DDR4- 2400 or 2666 memory speeds, so please keep it in mind. For the ones using a Z370 motherboard, it is imaginable to install DDR4-3200 and enable a bandwidth of 36GB per second, putting the i5-8400 on par with i7-8700K.
Talking about the benchmark scores, the i5-8400 is good for a multi-threaded score, 9 percent faster than Ryzen 5 1500X and 13 percent slower than earlier Intel flagship Core i7-7700K. Also, it is 23 percent lower than the 5 1600 Ryzen, although the single thread score is 20 percent higher, so it might be interesting to understand how Ryzen and Core i5-8400 processors compare in real-world applications.
Moving towards the positive points of i5 8400, we have concluded that
- Intel IPC is superb
- High clock speed and six cores equal high performance
Who should go for It?
From our review and results, we can tell that you should go for i5 8400. The processor is a decent choice for gamers and mid-range users who are making their own PC or upgrading the system. It has 6 cores that are able to go up to 4GHz, and it has enough processing power to manage, run, or handle any game or task you throw at it. Moreover, the Intel i5 8400 is good enough for Fortnite streaming.
