Core i5-10400F vs Ryzen 5 2600

CPU

GPU

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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Ryzen 5 2600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-10400F

6 / 12

13,029

0.0%

13,145

+0.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 41 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $39 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 23.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 66.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 5 2600

2018

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 41 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,344 vs 8,191).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 2600

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 41 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $39 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 23.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 66.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 41 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,344 vs 8,191).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Ryzen 5 2600?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.4% average FPS lead across 41 shared CPU game tests in our data, 29.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and the stronger long-term platform, 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 41 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 29.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 $39 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 41 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 23.3% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 66.1 PassMark/$), 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 AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 2600 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 i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 2600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	192 FPS	183 FPS
medium	152 FPS	157 FPS
high	123 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	119 FPS	125 FPS
high	97 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	68 FPS
medium	70 FPS	60 FPS
high	55 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 2600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	326 FPS	263 FPS
medium	318 FPS	227 FPS
high	290 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	162 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	236 FPS
medium	292 FPS	206 FPS
high	267 FPS	183 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	186 FPS
medium	258 FPS	165 FPS
high	235 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	111 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 2600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	268 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	304 FPS
medium	326 FPS	248 FPS
high	289 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	167 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 2600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
1080p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 2600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 2600

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.

Ryzen 5 2600

The Ryzen 5 2600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,145 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 2600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600 — a 9.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2600 uses Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 2600's 13,145 — a 0.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 2600. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 6,344 (25.4% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,163, a 22.2% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 4,893 (16.7% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+10%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.4 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	3 MB+1100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018)
PassMark	13,029	13,145
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191+29%	6,344
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454+25%	1,163
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783+18%	4,893

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 2600 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Ryzen 5 2600) — the Ryzen 5 2600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and AMD B450,AMD X470,AMD B350,AMD X370 (Ryzen 5 2600).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 2600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs Yes (Ryzen 5 2600). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 5 2600 targets General Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Ryzen 5 2600 rivals Core i5-9400.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 2600
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Gaming	General Productivity

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 2600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($160 vs $199), the Core i5-10400F is $39 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 66.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 2600 — making the Core i5-10400F the 20.9% better value option.