PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-10310U

2020

Why buy it

✅+35.2% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 1W instead of 47W, a 46W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-4710MQ

2013

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (950 vs 1,284).
❌Lower PassMark (5,792 vs 5,864).
❌Launch MSRP is still $378 MSRP, while Core i5-10310U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌4600% higher power demand at 47W vs 1W.

Core i5-10310U

2020

Core i7-4710MQ

2013

Why buy it

✅+35.2% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 1W instead of 47W, a 46W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (950 vs 1,284).
❌Lower PassMark (5,792 vs 5,864).
❌Launch MSRP is still $378 MSRP, while Core i5-10310U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌4600% higher power demand at 47W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10310U better than Core i7-4710MQ?

Yes. Core i5-10310U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10310U is the better fit because it leads the single-thread side of the matchup with 35.2% stronger Geekbench single-core performance.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10310U is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-10310U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i5-10310U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $378 MSRP, and it gives you 1.2% higher PassMark. Core i7-4710MQ only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2013 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (15.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA946.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-10310U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-10310U Benchmark Check

Core i7-4710MQ Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
1080p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	139 FPS	139 FPS
high	111 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	140 FPS
medium	116 FPS	118 FPS
high	93 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	67 FPS
medium	71 FPS	61 FPS
high	56 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-10310U Open Core i7-4710MQ

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
1080p
low	146 FPS	145 FPS
medium	121 FPS	145 FPS
high	114 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	130 FPS	145 FPS
medium	109 FPS	134 FPS
high	102 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	99 FPS
4K
low	101 FPS	119 FPS
medium	87 FPS	108 FPS
high	75 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	63 FPS

Open Core i5-10310U Open Core i7-4710MQ

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
1080p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	147 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	145 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	147 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	145 FPS
4K
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	147 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	145 FPS

Open Core i5-10310U Open Core i7-4710MQ

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
1080p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	147 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	145 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	147 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	145 FPS
4K
low	147 FPS	145 FPS
medium	147 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	145 FPS

Open Core i5-10310U Open Core i7-4710MQ

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10310U and Core i7-4710MQ

Core i5-10310U

The Core i5-10310U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,864 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-4710MQ

The Core i7-4710MQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 May 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,792 points. Launch price was $378.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10310U and Core i7-4710MQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-10310U versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-4710MQ — a 22.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-10310U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-10310U uses the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-4710MQ uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10310U scores 5,864 against the Core i7-4710MQ's 5,792 — a 1.2% lead for the Core i5-10310U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,284 vs 950, a 29.9% lead for the Core i5-10310U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i5-10310U vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-4710MQ.

Feature	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+26%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	2.5 GHz+47%
L3 Cache	6 MB	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake-U (2019−2020)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	5,864+1%	5,792
Geekbench 6 Single	1,284+35%	950
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,200

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10310U uses the FCBGA1528 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-4710MQ uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10310U versus DDR3L-1600 on the Core i7-4710MQ — the Core i5-10310U supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-10310U supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
Socket	FCBGA1528	PGA946
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666+33%	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+100%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-10310U) vs VT-x, EPT (Core i7-4710MQ). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics for 10th Gen (Core i5-10310U) and Intel HD Graphics 4600 (Core i7-4710MQ) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10310U targets Business Laptop, Core i7-4710MQ targets Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-10310U rivals Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U.

Feature	Core i5-10310U	Core i7-4710MQ
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics for 10th Gen	Intel HD Graphics 4600
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, EPT
Target Use	Business Laptop	Laptop