Core i5-1345U vs Core i7-10870H

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 i5-1345U

2023

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10870H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-10870H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-10870H

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i5-1345U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,087 vs 14,226).
❌Launch MSRP is still $417 MSRP, while Core i5-1345U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i5-1345U moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i5-1345U

2023

Core i7-10870H

2020

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 45W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i5-1345U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10870H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-10870H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,087 vs 14,226).
❌Launch MSRP is still $417 MSRP, while Core i5-1345U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌200% higher power demand at 45W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i5-1345U moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-1345U better than Core i7-10870H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-10870H is ahead with a 10.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-1345U pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-1345U is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-1345U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Core i5-1345U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $417 MSRP, and it gives you 1% better PassMark. Core i7-10870H only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop CPU, not because it is a serious desktop gaming option. It simply cannot keep up with modern games.

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

Core i5-1345U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i5-1345U Benchmark Check

Core i7-10870H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-1345U	Core i7-10870H
1080p
low	187 FPS	286 FPS
medium	156 FPS	256 FPS
high	130 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	235 FPS
medium	120 FPS	189 FPS
high	98 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	164 FPS
medium	73 FPS	133 FPS
high	59 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-1345U Open Core i7-10870H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-1345U	Core i7-10870H
1080p
low	217 FPS	253 FPS
medium	182 FPS	208 FPS
high	164 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	188 FPS	217 FPS
medium	162 FPS	183 FPS
high	150 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	129 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	147 FPS	171 FPS
medium	130 FPS	148 FPS
high	124 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core i5-1345U Open Core i7-10870H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-1345U	Core i7-10870H
1080p
low	356 FPS	352 FPS
medium	356 FPS	352 FPS
high	356 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	352 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	352 FPS
medium	356 FPS	352 FPS
high	356 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	352 FPS
4K
low	356 FPS	352 FPS
medium	356 FPS	352 FPS
high	356 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	347 FPS	325 FPS

Open Core i5-1345U Open Core i7-10870H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-1345U	Core i7-10870H
1080p
low	356 FPS	352 FPS
medium	356 FPS	352 FPS
high	356 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	352 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	352 FPS
medium	356 FPS	352 FPS
high	356 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	352 FPS
4K
low	356 FPS	352 FPS
medium	356 FPS	352 FPS
high	356 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	352 FPS

Open Core i5-1345U Open Core i7-10870H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-1345U and Core i7-10870H

Core i5-1345U

The Core i5-1345U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 14,226 points. Launch price was $309.

Core i7-10870H

The Core i7-10870H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 September 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,087 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-1345U packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-10870H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-1345U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i5-1345U versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-10870H — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-10870H (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-1345U uses the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-10870H uses Comet Lake-H (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-1345U scores 14,226 against the Core i7-10870H's 14,087 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-1345U. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-1345U	Core i7-10870H
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz	4.8 GHz+2%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.2 GHz+38%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-U (2023)	Comet Lake-H (2020)
PassMark	14,226	14,087
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,594
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,228
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,822

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-1345U uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-10870H uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-1345U	Core i7-10870H
Socket	FCBGA1744	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	16

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-1345U) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-10870H). The Core i7-10870H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i5-1345U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-10870H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-10870H rivals Ryzen 7 4800H.