Core i7-3840QM vs Core i5-10310U

Both the Core i7-3840QM and Core i5-10310U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-3840QM versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-10310U — a 14.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-10310U (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i7-3840QM uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-10310U uses Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3840QM scores 5,871 against the Core i5-10310U's 5,864 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-3840QM. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 676 vs 1,284, a 62% lead for the Core i5-10310U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-3840QM vs 6 MB on the Core i5-10310U.

The Core i7-3840QM uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-10310U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Core i7-3840QM versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10310U — 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.

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 4000 (Core i7-3840QM) and UHD Graphics for 10th Gen (Core i5-10310U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3840QM targets Mobile Workstation, Core i5-10310U targets Business Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3840QM rivals A10-5750M; Core i5-10310U rivals Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U.