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 $439 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 7900X3D.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7900X3D across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 50,213).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7900X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7900X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 7900X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +124.3% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
274.4% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 9 7900X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $439 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $599 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 7900X3D.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +124.3% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7900X3D across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 50,213).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7900X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7900X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
274.4% HIGHER MSRP
$599 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7900X3D better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7900X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 124.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 285.4% better 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 7900X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 124.3% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 12 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 7900X3D is the better fit. You are getting 285.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 966.7% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7900X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7900X3D is 274.4% more expensive on MSRP at $599 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 124.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 2.9% better value on MSRP (83.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), 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 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 7900X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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.

Core i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7900X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
1080p
low	192 FPS	272 FPS
medium	152 FPS	249 FPS
high	123 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	264 FPS
medium	119 FPS	217 FPS
high	97 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	155 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	183 FPS
medium	70 FPS	150 FPS
high	55 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	101 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
1080p
low	326 FPS	845 FPS
medium	318 FPS	689 FPS
high	290 FPS	511 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	423 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	679 FPS
medium	292 FPS	578 FPS
high	267 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	379 FPS
medium	258 FPS	326 FPS
high	235 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	241 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
1080p
low	326 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	326 FPS	1164 FPS
high	326 FPS	1101 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	972 FPS
medium	326 FPS	878 FPS
high	326 FPS	805 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	597 FPS
medium	326 FPS	518 FPS
high	289 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
1080p
low	326 FPS	1255 FPS
medium	326 FPS	1015 FPS
high	326 FPS	993 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	865 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	1037 FPS
medium	326 FPS	899 FPS
high	326 FPS	774 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	649 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	761 FPS
medium	326 FPS	664 FPS
high	326 FPS	578 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 7900X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 9 7900X3D

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 7900X3D

The Ryzen 9 7900X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 50,213 points. Launch price was $599.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7900X3D offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 7900X3D has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7900X3D — a 26.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7900X3D (base: 2.9 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7900X3D uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 9 7900X3D's 50,213 — a 117.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 7900X3D. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7900X3D.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5.6 GHz+30%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	4.4 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+967%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	13,029	50,213+285%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 7900X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 5200 on the Ryzen 9 7900X3D — the Ryzen 9 7900X3D supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7900X3D) — the Ryzen 9 7900X3D offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and AM5 (Ryzen 9 7900X3D).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
Socket	LGA1200	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	5200+129900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 7900X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 9 7900X3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen 9 7900X3D). The Ryzen 9 7900X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Ryzen 9 7900X3D rivals Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 7900X3D debuted at $599. On MSRP ($160 vs $599), the Core i5-10400F is $439 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 83.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 7900X3D — making the Ryzen 9 7900X3D the 2.9% better value option.