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

✅Costs $389 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 5900X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 21,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +60.0% higher average FPS across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 71.0 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $389 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 5900X.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +60.0% higher average FPS across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 21,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 71.0 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 5900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 60.0% average FPS lead across 31 shared CPU game tests in our data, 156.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 199.0% 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 9 5900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 60.0% more average FPS across 31 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5900X is the better fit. You are getting 156.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 5900X is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 5900X is 243.1% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 60.0% average FPS lead across 31 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 14.8% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 71.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-10400F 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 9 5900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	192 FPS	323 FPS
medium	152 FPS	291 FPS
high	123 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	307 FPS
medium	119 FPS	248 FPS
high	97 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	193 FPS
medium	70 FPS	156 FPS
high	55 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	103 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	326 FPS	772 FPS
medium	318 FPS	647 FPS
high	290 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	619 FPS
medium	292 FPS	536 FPS
high	267 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	365 FPS
medium	258 FPS	318 FPS
high	235 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	255 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	326 FPS	832 FPS
medium	326 FPS	645 FPS
high	326 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	721 FPS
medium	326 FPS	565 FPS
high	326 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	511 FPS
medium	326 FPS	421 FPS
high	289 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	308 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 5900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	326 FPS	974 FPS
medium	326 FPS	974 FPS
high	326 FPS	934 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	826 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	959 FPS
medium	326 FPS	843 FPS
high	326 FPS	726 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	617 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	694 FPS
medium	326 FPS	621 FPS
high	326 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 9 5900X

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 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X — a 11% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 9 5900X's 38,955 — a 99.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 21,000 (87.8% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 2,174, a 39.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 11,888 (69.1% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.7 GHz+28%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	13,029	38,955+199%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	21,000+156%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	2,174+50%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	11,888+106%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 5900X) — the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 9 5900X).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 5900X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 5900X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900X debuted at $549. On MSRP ($160 vs $549), the Core i5-10400F is $389 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 71.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900X — making the Core i5-10400F the 13.7% better value option.