Core i5-10400F vs EPYC 8124P

CPU

GPU

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 8124P

16 Cores32 Thrd125 WWMax: 3 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-10400F

6 / 12

13,029

0.0%

36,079

+176.9%

Ryzen Embedded V3C48

Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350

Ryzen 7 5800XT

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

About PassMark

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 i5-10400F

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $479 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $639 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $639 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 8124P.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 8124P across 38 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 36,079).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 8124P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while EPYC 8124P moves to SP6 and DDR5.

EPYC 8124P

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.6% higher average FPS across 38 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅500% more PCIe lanes (96 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 56.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($639 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

EPYC 8124P

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $479 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $639 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $639 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 8124P.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.6% higher average FPS across 38 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅500% more PCIe lanes (96 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 8124P across 38 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 36,079).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 8124P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while EPYC 8124P moves to SP6 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 56.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($639 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 8124P better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 8124P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-10400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 8124P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 31.6% more average FPS across 38 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 8124P is the better fit. You are getting 176.9% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

EPYC 8124P is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 8124P is 299.4% more expensive on MSRP at $639 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.6% average FPS lead across 38 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 44.2% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 56.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

EPYC 8124P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with SP6 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 i5-10400F Benchmark Check

EPYC 8124P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
1080p
low	192 FPS	153 FPS
medium	152 FPS	125 FPS
high	123 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	139 FPS
medium	119 FPS	111 FPS
high	97 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	67 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 8124P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
1080p
low	326 FPS	387 FPS
medium	318 FPS	344 FPS
high	290 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	327 FPS
medium	292 FPS	296 FPS
high	267 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	191 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	202 FPS
medium	258 FPS	186 FPS
high	235 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	127 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 8124P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
1080p
low	326 FPS	856 FPS
medium	326 FPS	767 FPS
high	326 FPS	743 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	667 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	660 FPS
medium	326 FPS	573 FPS
high	326 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	487 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	432 FPS
medium	326 FPS	341 FPS
high	289 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	250 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 8124P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
1080p
low	326 FPS	902 FPS
medium	326 FPS	902 FPS
high	326 FPS	769 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	823 FPS
medium	326 FPS	707 FPS
high	326 FPS	596 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	596 FPS
medium	326 FPS	521 FPS
high	326 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	372 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 8124P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and EPYC 8124P

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.

EPYC 8124P

The EPYC 8124P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 18 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Siena (2023−2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.45 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: SP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 36,079 points. Launch price was $639.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 8124P offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 8124P has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3 GHz on the EPYC 8124P — a 35.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.45 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 8124P uses Siena (2023−2024) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the EPYC 8124P's 36,079 — a 93.9% lead for the EPYC 8124P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 8124P.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+43%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+18%	2.45 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Siena (2023−2024)
PassMark	13,029	36,079+177%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 8124P uses SP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 4800 on the EPYC 8124P — the EPYC 8124P supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 8124P supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 6 (EPYC 8124P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 96 (EPYC 8124P) — the EPYC 8124P offers 80 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and SP6 (EPYC 8124P).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
Socket	LGA1200	SP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	4800+119900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+6553500%	2048
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	96+500%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the EPYC 8124P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V, IOMMU (EPYC 8124P). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; EPYC 8124P rivals Xeon Gold 6426Y.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 8124P
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, IOMMU
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the EPYC 8124P debuted at $639. On MSRP ($160 vs $639), the Core i5-10400F is $479 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 56.5 pts/$ for the EPYC 8124P — making the Core i5-10400F the 36.2% better value option.