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 i7-11700K

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 5 8400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,362 vs 24,554).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.1 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8400F moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $96 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.0 vs 61.1 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11700K

2021

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Ryzen 5 8400F needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $96 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.0 vs 61.1 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,362 vs 24,554).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.1 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8400F moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8400F better than Core i7-11700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-11700K is ahead with a 14.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8400F pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8400F is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 8400F is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 8400F is $96 cheaper on MSRP at $303 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and it gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-11700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 14.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 32.7% better value on MSRP (81.0 vs 61.1 PassMark/$), 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 LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i7-11700K 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?

Ryzen 5 8400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i7-11700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	302 FPS	178 FPS
medium	265 FPS	151 FPS
high	223 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	247 FPS	151 FPS
medium	195 FPS	124 FPS
high	160 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	81 FPS
medium	136 FPS	72 FPS
high	105 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	609 FPS	374 FPS
medium	529 FPS	316 FPS
high	454 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	238 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	326 FPS
medium	493 FPS	282 FPS
high	421 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	214 FPS
4K
low	404 FPS	243 FPS
medium	342 FPS	215 FPS
high	320 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	165 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	609 FPS	614 FPS
medium	609 FPS	614 FPS
high	609 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	571 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	609 FPS	614 FPS
medium	609 FPS	603 FPS
high	549 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	471 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	586 FPS	492 FPS
medium	485 FPS	431 FPS
high	428 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Ryzen 5 8400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	609 FPS	614 FPS
medium	609 FPS	614 FPS
high	609 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	609 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	609 FPS	614 FPS
medium	609 FPS	614 FPS
high	609 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	609 FPS	601 FPS
4K
low	609 FPS	610 FPS
medium	565 FPS	548 FPS
high	510 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-11700K and Ryzen 5 8400F

Core i7-11700K

The Core i7-11700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 24,362 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 8400F

The Ryzen 5 8400F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,554 points. Launch price was $170.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-11700K packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-11700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-11700K versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8400F — a 6.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i7-11700K uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8400F uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11700K scores 24,362 against the Ryzen 5 8400F's 24,554 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 8400F. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz+6%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	4.2 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	24,362	24,554
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,732	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-11700K uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 8400F uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
Socket	LGA1200	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700K) / not specified (Ryzen 5 8400F). The Core i7-11700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Ryzen 5 8400F requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Core i7-11700K	Ryzen 5 8400F
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 750	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-11700K launched at $399 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8400F debuted at $303. On MSRP ($399 vs $303), the Ryzen 5 8400F is $96 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-11700K delivers 61.1 pts/$ vs 81.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8400F — making the Ryzen 5 8400F the 28.1% better value option.