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 5 120UL

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 13,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $117 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅Delivers 113.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core 5 120UL.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Core i5-10400F

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $117 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅Delivers 113.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core 5 120UL.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 13,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core 5 120UL?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.4% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data and 23.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.4% more average FPS across 49 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 23.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is $117 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $277 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 113.6% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 38.1 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core 5 120UL can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Core 5 120UL is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 5 120UL Benchmark Check

Core i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
1080p
low	173 FPS	192 FPS
medium	141 FPS	152 FPS
high	117 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	153 FPS
medium	114 FPS	119 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	82 FPS
medium	68 FPS	70 FPS
high	54 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i5-10400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
1080p
low	201 FPS	326 FPS
medium	171 FPS	318 FPS
high	155 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	253 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	326 FPS
medium	155 FPS	292 FPS
high	143 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	234 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	309 FPS
medium	125 FPS	258 FPS
high	118 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i5-10400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
1080p
low	264 FPS	326 FPS
medium	264 FPS	326 FPS
high	264 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	326 FPS
medium	264 FPS	326 FPS
high	264 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	326 FPS
medium	264 FPS	326 FPS
high	264 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i5-10400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
1080p
low	264 FPS	326 FPS
medium	264 FPS	326 FPS
high	264 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	326 FPS
medium	264 FPS	326 FPS
high	264 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	326 FPS
medium	264 FPS	326 FPS
high	264 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	326 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i5-10400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Core i5-10400F

Core 5 120UL

The Core 5 120UL is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 10,558 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-10400F

The Core i5-10400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,029 points. Launch price was $155.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-10400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core 5 120UL has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i5-10400F uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Core i5-10400F's 13,029 — a 21% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+7%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2.9 GHz+123%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	10,558	13,029+23%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	8,191
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,454
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	5,783

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i5-10400F uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120UL) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Core i5-10400F
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120UL launched at $277 MSRP, while the Core i5-10400F debuted at $160. On MSRP ($277 vs $160), the Core i5-10400F is $117 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120UL delivers 38.1 pts/$ vs 81.4 pts/$ for the Core i5-10400F — making the Core i5-10400F the 72.5% better value option.