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 i9-11900KF

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 47.9 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($513 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

✅Costs $210 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.0 vs 47.9 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $513 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 i9-11900KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,554 vs 24,585).

Core i9-11900KF

2021

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $210 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.0 vs 47.9 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $513 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 per dollar, at 47.9 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($513 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 i9-11900KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,554 vs 24,585).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-11900KF better than Ryzen 5 8400F?

Yes. Core i9-11900KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-11900KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-11900KF is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i9-11900KF is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 8400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-11900KF is 69.3% more expensive on MSRP at $513 MSRP versus $303 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 8400F is also 69.1% better value on MSRP (81.0 vs 47.9 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 5 8400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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) and a healthier platform with AM5 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 i9-11900KF Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	295 FPS	178 FPS
medium	261 FPS	151 FPS
high	220 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	242 FPS	151 FPS
medium	192 FPS	124 FPS
high	157 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	81 FPS
medium	135 FPS	72 FPS
high	104 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	615 FPS	374 FPS
medium	527 FPS	316 FPS
high	457 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	238 FPS
1440p
low	601 FPS	326 FPS
medium	490 FPS	282 FPS
high	422 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	214 FPS
4K
low	401 FPS	243 FPS
medium	339 FPS	215 FPS
high	320 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	165 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	615 FPS	614 FPS
medium	615 FPS	614 FPS
high	615 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	563 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	614 FPS
medium	615 FPS	603 FPS
high	543 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	464 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	577 FPS	492 FPS
medium	480 FPS	431 FPS
high	427 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 5 8400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 5 8400F
1080p
low	615 FPS	614 FPS
medium	615 FPS	614 FPS
high	615 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	615 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	614 FPS
medium	615 FPS	614 FPS
high	615 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	615 FPS	601 FPS
4K
low	615 FPS	610 FPS
medium	565 FPS	548 FPS
high	512 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i9-11900KF Open Ryzen 5 8400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11900KF and Ryzen 5 8400F

Core i9-11900KF

The Core i9-11900KF 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 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 24,585 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 i9-11900KF packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-11900KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-11900KF versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8400F — a 10.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900KF (base: 3.5 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i9-11900KF uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8400F uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-11900KF scores 24,585 against the Ryzen 5 8400F's 24,554 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i9-11900KF. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 5 8400F
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+11%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	4.2 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	24,585	24,554
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,500	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11900KF 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 i9-11900KF	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 i9-11900KF) / not specified (Ryzen 5 8400F).

Feature	Core i9-11900KF	Ryzen 5 8400F
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-11900KF launched at $513 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8400F debuted at $303. On MSRP ($513 vs $303), the Ryzen 5 8400F is $210 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-11900KF delivers 47.9 pts/$ vs 81.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8400F — making the Ryzen 5 8400F the 51.4% better value option.