CPU Comparison
Intel Core i5-10300H vs Core i5-7300HQ
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core i5-10300H is a 10th generation mobile processor designed for budget gaming laptops and mobile workstations. Part of the Comet Lake-H family, it was released in September 2020. Built on Intel's 14nm process, it features 4 cores and 8 threads, offering adequate multi-tasking capabilities for entry-level gaming. The base clock is set at 2.5 GHz, with a max turbo boost of 4.5 GHz. It operates within a 45W TDP envelope, balancing performance and thermal constraints typical of mobile devices. The processor includes 6 MB of Intel Smart Cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory up to 2933 MT/s. It integrates basic Intel UHD Graphics, though laptops featuring this chip almost always include a dedicated GPU. With 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes, it provides sufficient bandwidth for a mobile discrete graphics card and fast NVMe storage, making it a staple in affordable gaming laptops.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
4 cores limit heavy multi-threaded tasks.
Smooth performance for everyday office applications and web browsing.
Gaming
Good for 1080p gaming when paired with a GTX 1650 or RTX 3050.
Handles older eSports titles like CS:GO and LoL perfectly, but struggles with modern CPU-demanding games.
Virtualization
Not ideal for running multiple VMs.
Not recommended for virtualization due to lack of Hyper-Threading.
Efficiency
14nm on mobile is not as battery-friendly as 7nm alternatives.
High power draw relative to performance by modern mobile standards.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No dedicated AI hardware.
- Basic CPU inference only.
- No NPU or AI acceleration
- Insufficient threads for AI workloads
Content Creation
Gaming
- Sufficient for budget gaming laptops.
- May bottleneck modern CPU-heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077.
- Excellent for eSports and older games.
- Great for older games and eSports
- Bottlenecks modern GPUs in AAA titles
- 4 cores are a strict limitation today
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Decent single-core performance
- Sufficient for budget eSports gaming
- Supports 2933 MT/s memory
- Widely available in affordable laptops
Cons
- Only 4 cores in an 8-thread world
- 14nm process is inefficient on mobile
- Soldered to motherboard, no upgrades
- Outperformed by AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
Pros
- Reliable quad-core performance for its era
- Good sustained thermal performance in laptop chassis
- Supports DDR4 memory
- Includes Quick Sync Video for fast media encoding
Cons
- Only 4 cores and 4 threads
- Soldered to motherboard, not upgradeable
- Poor multi-tasking performance by modern standards
- Not supported by Windows 11 officially
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core i5-10300H
- AMD Ryzen 5 4600HRival
Mobile Mainstream
- AMD Ryzen 5 3550HRival
Mobile Budget
- Intel Core i5-9300HRival
Previous Gen Mobile
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i5-10400HRival
Mobile Mainstream
- AMD Ryzen 7 3750HRival
Mobile High-End
- Intel Core i5-11400HAlt
Better architecture and higher core count.
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600HAlt
Much better IPC and battery life.
- Intel Core i7-10750HAlt
More cores for better multitasking.
Slightly cheaper but similar performance.
Compare head-to-head
Core i5-7300HQ
- AMD A10-9620PRival
Mobile
- Intel Core i7-7700HQRival
Mobile
- Intel Core i5-6300HQRival
Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 5 2500URival
Mobile
- Intel Core i5-7200URival
Mobile
- Intel Core i5-9300HAlt
Modern alternative with 8 threads for better multi-threading.
- AMD Ryzen 5 3550HAlt
Better multi-threading and integrated graphics performance.
- Intel Core i5-8300HAlt
Direct successor offering 8 threads on the same tier.
- AMD Ryzen 5 4600HAlt
Vastly superior modern alternative with 6 cores and 12 threads.
Our Verdict on Each
A standard 4-core mobile CPU that gets the job done for budget gaming, but struggles to compete with AMD's multi-core mobile offerings of the same era.
Best for: Buying a heavily discounted used gaming laptop.
Read the full reviewA highly popular mobile CPU that brought affordable quad-core performance to gaming laptops, though its 4-core/4-thread design is heavily outdated for modern workloads.
Best for: Buying a very cheap used laptop for basic retro gaming
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core i5-10300H or Core i5-7300HQ?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core i5-10300H comes out ahead with a score of 7/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core i5-10300H or Core i5-7300HQ?
For gaming, the Intel Core i5-10300H leads with a gaming performance score of 70/100 among Intel Core i5-10300H and Core i5-7300HQ.
Do Intel Core i5-10300H and Core i5-7300HQ use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (Intel Core i5-10300H: BGA 1440, Core i5-7300HQ: BGA1440), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core i5-10300H posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core i5-10300H (9,000). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.