Intel Core i5-10400 vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-10400 vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like Blender, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, 3DMark, MATLAB, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, AIDA64, WPrime, Prime95, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, 7zip.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Apex Legends
Watch Dogs Legion
Valheim
Halo Infinite
Death Stranding
Rainbow Six Siege
Valorant
DOOM: Eternal
Last Man Standing
Fortnite
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Borderlands 3
Fallout 76
Red Dead Redemption 2
Overwatch
Cyberpunk 2077
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or Intel Core i5-10400.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-10400

53%

Ryzen 7 3800X

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 3800X is 7% better than Core i5-10400. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-10400

53%

Ryzen 7 3800X

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Control, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.8	98.9
Valorant	107.7	112.4
Cyberpunk 2077	60.3	62.9
Apex Legends	101.2	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	80.8	84.3
Overwatch	87.2	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.3	77.5
DOOM Eternal	53.9	56.2
Warzone	84.0	87.7
Assassin's Creed	90.5	94.4
Valheim	89.4	93.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-10400

63%

Ryzen 7 3800X

44%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-10400 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 7 3800X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-10400	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	190	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1341	2165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	450	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3197	4960
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1110	1325
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7610	12874

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-10400	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	2626	2773
Multi-Core	12503	23436

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-10400	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	1245	1393
Multi-Core	6654	10679

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-10400	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	AM4
Core name	Comet Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	10	3
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	6	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	4800 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		512KB
L2 cache		4MB
L3 cache	12 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000025 100-100000025BOX 100-100000025MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 7 3800X is 25% better than Core i5-10400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 7 3800X has 2 more core than Core i5-10400. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10400 is better: 7
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is better: 30
Although it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-10400 and AMD Ryzen 7 3800X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-10400 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3800X specs and review.