Core i5-10400F vs Ryzen 7 7840HS

Intel

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Ryzen 7 7840HS

8 Cores16 Thrd35 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2023

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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

  • Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 7840HS.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840HS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 16,854).
  • Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
  • Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Ryzen 7 7840HS

2023

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +81.9% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
  • Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
  • Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
  • 25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7840HS better than Core i5-10400F?
Yes. Ryzen 7 7840HS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 81.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 105.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 119.0% higher PassMark, 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, Ryzen 7 7840HS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 81.9% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7840HS is the better fit. You are getting 105.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 7 7840HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 7840HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 81.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 7 7840HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
1080p
low192 FPS267 FPS
medium152 FPS242 FPS
high123 FPS203 FPS
ultra100 FPS176 FPS
1440p
low153 FPS235 FPS
medium119 FPS193 FPS
high97 FPS157 FPS
ultra79 FPS139 FPS
4K
low82 FPS163 FPS
medium70 FPS136 FPS
high55 FPS105 FPS
ultra43 FPS92 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
1080p
low326 FPS493 FPS
medium318 FPS406 FPS
high290 FPS347 FPS
ultra253 FPS309 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS431 FPS
medium292 FPS374 FPS
high267 FPS320 FPS
ultra234 FPS272 FPS
4K
low309 FPS284 FPS
medium258 FPS258 FPS
high235 FPS242 FPS
ultra199 FPS208 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
1080p
low326 FPS713 FPS
medium326 FPS713 FPS
high326 FPS713 FPS
ultra326 FPS624 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS713 FPS
medium326 FPS646 FPS
high326 FPS545 FPS
ultra326 FPS467 FPS
4K
low326 FPS544 FPS
medium326 FPS475 FPS
high289 FPS422 FPS
ultra229 FPS357 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
1080p
low326 FPS713 FPS
medium326 FPS713 FPS
high326 FPS713 FPS
ultra326 FPS713 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS713 FPS
medium326 FPS713 FPS
high326 FPS658 FPS
ultra326 FPS573 FPS
4K
low326 FPS574 FPS
medium326 FPS511 FPS
high326 FPS456 FPS
ultra326 FPS394 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 7 7840HS

Intel

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.

AMD

Ryzen 7 7840HS

The Ryzen 7 7840HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 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): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 28,538 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7840HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7840HS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7840HS — a 17% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840HS (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7840HS uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 7 7840HS's 28,538 — a 74.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 7840HS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 16,854 (69.2% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840HS). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,962, a 29.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 7840HS that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 11,898 (69.2% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840HS). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7840HS.

FeatureCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
5.1 GHz+19%
Base Clock
2.9 GHz
3.8 GHz+31%
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)
16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
1 MB (per core)+300%
Process
14 nm
4 nm-71%
Architecture
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark
13,029
28,538+119%
Cinebench R23 Multi
8,191
16,854+106%
Geekbench 6 Single
1,454
1,962+35%
Geekbench 6 Multi
5,783
11,898+106%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 7840HS uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus LPDDR5-7500 / DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 7 7840HS — the Ryzen 7 7840HS supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 7840HS supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 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 7 7840HS) — the Ryzen 7 7840HS offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 7 7840HS).

FeatureCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
Socket
LGA1200
FP8
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
LPDDR5-7500 / DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
256 GB+100%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
No
No
PCIe Lanes
16
20+25%
🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 7840HS has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 7 7840HS supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen 7 7840HS). The Ryzen 7 7840HS includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 7 7840HS targets High-performance Laptop / Mini-PC. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Ryzen 7 7840HS rivals Core i7-13700H.

FeatureCore i5-10400FRyzen 7 7840HS
Integrated GPU
No
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon 780M
Unlocked
No
Yes
AVX-512
No
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
AMD-V, SVM
Target Use
Gaming
High-performance Laptop / Mini-PC