Core i5-9300HF vs Core i7-8557U

Core i5-9300HF

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2019

Core i7-8557U

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-9300HF

4 / 8

7,255

0.0%

7,309

+0.7%

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i5-9300HF is positioned at rank 465 and the Core i7-8557U is on rank 802, so the Core i5-9300HF offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-9300HF

#144

Core i7-12650H

MSRP: $457|Avg: N/A

98%

#453

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

607%

#454

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

598%

#455

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

549%

#456

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

546%

#457

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

541%

#459

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

523%

#460

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

501%

#461

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

500%

#462

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

487%

#465

Core i5-9300HF

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#472

Ryzen Embedded R1505G

MSRP: $80|Avg: $80

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-8557U

#790

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1212%

#791

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1195%

#792

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1097%

#793

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1092%

#794

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1082%

#796

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1045%

#797

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1002%

#798

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1000%

#799

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

973%

#802

Core i7-8557U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#803

Core i7-1365UE

MSRP: $429|Avg: $429

100%

#805

3020e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

99%

#809

Athlon II M320

MSRP: $75|Avg: $15

99%

#810

Celeron B800

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

99%

#811

Celeron B710

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

99%

#813

Athlon II Neo K345

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-8557U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-9300HF in both compute-intensive tasks (0.7% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-9300HF	Core i7-8557U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i5-9300HF	Core i7-8557U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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 i5-9300HF Benchmark Check

Core i7-8557U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-9300HF and Core i7-8557U

Core i5-9300HF

The Core i5-9300HF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,255 points. Launch price was $250.

Core i7-8557U

The Core i7-8557U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,309 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-9300HF and Core i7-8557U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-9300HF versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i7-8557U — a 9.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-8557U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i5-9300HF uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-8557U uses Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-9300HF scores 7,255 against the Core i7-8557U's 7,309 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i7-8557U. Both processors carry 8 MB of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-9300HF	Core i7-8557U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.5 GHz+10%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+41%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB	8 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019)	Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)
PassMark	7,255	7,309
Geekbench 6 Single	1,288	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-9300HF uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-8557U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-9300HF	Core i7-8557U
Socket	BGA1440	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-9300HF) / not specified (Core i7-8557U). Primary use case: Core i5-9300HF targets Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-9300HF rivals Ryzen 5 3550H.