Core i7-5950HQ vs Ryzen 5 1400

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 i7-5950HQ

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 47W instead of 65W, a 18W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,667 vs 7,731).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).

Ryzen 5 1400

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $169 MSRP, while Core i7-5950HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌38.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 47W.

Core i7-5950HQ

2015

Ryzen 5 1400

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 47W instead of 65W, a 18W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,667 vs 7,731).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $169 MSRP, while Core i7-5950HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌38.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 47W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 1400 better than Core i7-5950HQ?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-5950HQ is ahead with a 1.5% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 1400 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 1400 also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 1400 is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 1400 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 1400 is at an unclear MSRP at $169 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-5950HQ is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.5% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (45.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 1400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2015), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB), 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 i7-5950HQ Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 1400 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-5950HQ	Ryzen 5 1400
1080p
low	169 FPS	170 FPS
medium	143 FPS	148 FPS
high	113 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	141 FPS
medium	121 FPS	118 FPS
high	94 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	65 FPS
medium	61 FPS	58 FPS
high	48 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-5950HQ Open Ryzen 5 1400

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-5950HQ	Ryzen 5 1400
1080p
low	192 FPS	168 FPS
medium	182 FPS	148 FPS
high	169 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	182 FPS	146 FPS
medium	158 FPS	129 FPS
high	145 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	94 FPS
4K
low	143 FPS	114 FPS
medium	127 FPS	103 FPS
high	106 FPS	80 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	58 FPS

Open Core i7-5950HQ Open Ryzen 5 1400

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-5950HQ	Ryzen 5 1400
1080p
low	192 FPS	193 FPS
medium	192 FPS	193 FPS
high	192 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	193 FPS
medium	192 FPS	193 FPS
high	192 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	193 FPS
4K
low	192 FPS	193 FPS
medium	192 FPS	193 FPS
high	192 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	181 FPS

Open Core i7-5950HQ Open Ryzen 5 1400

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-5950HQ	Ryzen 5 1400
1080p
low	192 FPS	193 FPS
medium	192 FPS	193 FPS
high	192 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	193 FPS
medium	192 FPS	193 FPS
high	192 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	193 FPS
4K
low	192 FPS	193 FPS
medium	192 FPS	193 FPS
high	192 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i7-5950HQ Open Ryzen 5 1400

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-5950HQ and Ryzen 5 1400

Core i7-5950HQ

The Core i7-5950HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-H (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 7,667 points. Launch price was $623.

Ryzen 5 1400

The Ryzen 5 1400 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,731 points. Launch price was $169.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i7-5950HQ and Ryzen 5 1400 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-5950HQ versus 3.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 1400 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-5950HQ (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i7-5950HQ uses the Broadwell-H (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 1400 uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5950HQ scores 7,667 against the Ryzen 5 1400's 7,731 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 1400. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-5950HQ vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 1400.

Feature	Core i7-5950HQ	Ryzen 5 1400
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+12%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Broadwell-H (2015)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	7,667	7,731

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-5950HQ uses the BGA1364 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 1400 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.