Ryzen 5 8400F vs Ryzen 7 7840U

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.

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $97 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.0 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Ryzen 7 7840U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,547 vs 24,554).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.4 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 8400F

2024

Ryzen 7 7840U

2023

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $97 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.0 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (24,547 vs 24,554).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.4 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8400F better than Ryzen 7 7840U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7840U is ahead with a 7.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8400F pulls ahead with 0% 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% 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 $97 cheaper on MSRP at $303 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you 0% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 7840U is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 32.1% better value on MSRP (81.0 vs 61.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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 2023) 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.

Ryzen 5 8400F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7840U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 8400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	178 FPS	257 FPS
medium	151 FPS	237 FPS
high	123 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	228 FPS
medium	124 FPS	191 FPS
high	101 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	159 FPS
medium	72 FPS	134 FPS
high	58 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 8400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	374 FPS	477 FPS
medium	316 FPS	395 FPS
high	278 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	306 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	417 FPS
medium	282 FPS	364 FPS
high	255 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	214 FPS	270 FPS
4K
low	243 FPS	275 FPS
medium	215 FPS	251 FPS
high	198 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	165 FPS	206 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 8400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	614 FPS	614 FPS
medium	614 FPS	614 FPS
high	614 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	614 FPS	595 FPS
1440p
low	614 FPS	614 FPS
medium	603 FPS	614 FPS
high	522 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	446 FPS	452 FPS
4K
low	492 FPS	525 FPS
medium	431 FPS	459 FPS
high	369 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	303 FPS	345 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 8400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
1080p
low	614 FPS	614 FPS
medium	614 FPS	614 FPS
high	614 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	614 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	614 FPS	614 FPS
medium	614 FPS	614 FPS
high	614 FPS	614 FPS
ultra	601 FPS	549 FPS
4K
low	610 FPS	560 FPS
medium	548 FPS	502 FPS
high	490 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	384 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8400F Open Ryzen 7 7840U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 8400F and Ryzen 7 7840U

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.

Ryzen 7 7840U

The Ryzen 7 7840U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Maio 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600. Passmark benchmark score: 24,547 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 8400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7840U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7840U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7840U — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840U (base: 4.2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 8400F uses the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7840U uses Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 8400F scores 24,554 against the Ryzen 7 7840U's 24,547 — a 0% lead for the Ryzen 5 8400F. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 5 8400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz	5.1 GHz+9%
Base Clock	4.2 GHz+27%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm	4 nm
Architecture	Phoenix (2023−2024)	Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	24,554	24,547

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 8400F uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 7840U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 8400F	Ryzen 7 7840U
Socket	AM5	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0

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Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 8400F launched at $303 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7840U debuted at $400. On MSRP ($303 vs $400), the Ryzen 5 8400F is $97 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 8400F delivers 81.0 pts/$ vs 61.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7840U — making the Ryzen 5 8400F the 27.6% better value option.