Intel Core i5 7400 Good for Gaming? Simple Explanation

When it comes to gaming, one of the most critical factors determining your experience is the choice of hardware. While a powerful graphics card is essential, the CPU plays a vital role in ensuring smooth gameplay. 

In today’s modern gaming universe, you will find gamers are still using old processor and continuing their gaming journey, the Intel i5 7400 is one of them. Now you can ask whether still it has the juice to provide superior performance or not, then the answer is yes, but it can perform better rather than best! 

In this article, we’ll dive into the world of gaming CPUs and specifically explore the Intel i5 7400 processor. We’ll examine whether it can still perform to today’s date. So, let’s go for it.

Will the i5 7400 be Ideal for Gaming?

The Intel i5 7400 is part of the 7th generation of Intel’s Core processors, codenamed “Kaby Lake.” Released in early 2017, this CPU aimed to strike a balance between performance and affordability. it has a base clock speed of 3.0 GHz and a boost clock of 3.5 GHz. Moreover, it has 4 cores and threads.

Compared to today’s CPU, it’s pretty old, isn’t it? Now, you may wonder whether it will be a good choice or not for gaming as it’s half a decade older than the modern CPUs. But, surprisingly, it’s still good for gaming, but not the best! You may not have ultra-smooth gaming but can have a decent one. 

In a CPU, the clock speed, core, and threads are responsible for providing a better experience in gaming. 

A. Clock Speed and Gaming Performance

• Faster CPU clock speeds generally lead to better gaming performance. They help the CPU process game tasks quickly, especially in games that rely on single-threaded performance.
• The i5 7400 has decent clock speeds, but it might struggle with the most demanding modern games.
• Some newer games need CPUs with higher clock speeds and more cores to run smoothly. If you want to play the latest AAA titles, consider more powerful CPUs.

B. Cores and Threads

• The i5-7400 has four cores and four threads. This setup works well for many games and everyday tasks.
• However, some modern games are designed for CPUs with more cores and threads, offering better performance in complex scenarios.
• If you’re into multitasking, like gaming while streaming or running background apps, CPUs with more cores and threads can be a big help.

So, yes, you will still have a decent performance while gaming with i5 7400 CPU but it won’t be the best.

Benchmark Score of i5 7400 in Different Games

A few games were played with an i5 7400 CPU and from the test, the following FPS results are collected. Also, we have provided the FPS when different GPUs are paired with the i5 7400 in the later part of this section. 

Game Name	Resolution & Settings	FPS Average	1% low
Fortnite	1080p, High	73	38
GTA V	1080p, Very High	86	62
Valorant	1080p, High	161	75
LOL	1080p, Very High	197	139
COD Warzone	1080p, Low	66	24
Apex Legend	1080p	111	52
CS: GO	1080p	194	47
Rocket League	1080p, High	218	93
F1	1080p, High	83	41

Well, from here you can see that the CPU is quite compatible with the popular games out there and you can have a playable decent FPS while gaming. The value may fluctuate with respect to different GPUs. For the specific specifications and game settings, you can watch this video that we have used as a reference. 

Here we have provided a bar chart that includes information about the FPS while you are using the i5 7400 CPU different GPUs.

1. NVIDIA GPU

*Data Collected from CPU Agent

2. AMD GPU

*Data Collected from CPU Agent

Questions Your Gaming Mind Also Ask

Does i5 7400 have graphics?

Yes, the i5 7400 processor comes with an integrated graphics. It comes with Intel HD Graphics 630 which can perform pretty well! According to research, among the top 10K+ PC games, 30% of them can be played with this integrated GPU.

What would be the best graphics card to pair with the Intel i5 7400? 

It’s suggested to avoid high-end GPU as the CPU is pretty old, compared to today’s date. You can go for RX 6650 XT or RTX 2060 for playing high-end games.

Summing Up

Well, the performance of the old lady isn’t that bad, right? It is like an old gun that can perform till it is collapsing. So, if you are willing to buy a pre-owned CPU for playing modern games in medium or lower settings, then you can go for the i5 7400 without any second thought!