Intel Core i5-10400 vs Intel Core i5-10400F

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-10400 vs Intel Core i5-10400F and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, 3DMark, PassMark, RealBench, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, Blender, UserBenchmark, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, Handbrake, 7zip, AIDA64, SuperPi.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10400F 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%

Core i5-10400F

53%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-10400

53%

Core i5-10400F

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Control, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.8	94.6
Valorant	107.7	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	60.3	60.2
Apex Legends	101.2	101.0
Call of Duty Warzone	80.8	80.6
Overwatch	87.2	87.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.3	74.1
DOOM Eternal	53.9	53.7
Warzone	84.0	83.8
Assassin's Creed	90.5	90.3
Valheim	89.4	89.2

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-10400

63%

Core i5-10400F

58%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-10400 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-10400F as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	Intel Core i5-10400	Intel Core i5-10400F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	190	190
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1341	1341
Cinbench 20 Single-core	450	450
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3197	3197
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1110	1110
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7610	7610

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

	Intel Core i5-10400	Intel Core i5-10400F
Single-Core	2626	2608
Multi-Core	12503	12648

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

	Intel Core i5-10400	Intel Core i5-10400F
Single-Core	1245	1150
Multi-Core	6654	6428

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-10400	Intel Core i5-10400F
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA1200
Core name	Comet Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	10
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4800 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	12 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. 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: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10400F is better: 1
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-10400 and Intel Core i5-10400F before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-10400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10400F specs and review.