Intel Core i5-6400 vs Intel Core i5-2400

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-6400 vs Intel Core i5-2400 and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, 7zip, VeraCrypt, PassMark, Gears 5, RealBench, Blender, AIDA64, Blender, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, WPrime, SuperPi, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-2400 or Intel Core i5-6400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-6400

51%

Core i5-2400

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6400

51%

Core i5-2400

51%

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 run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.3	90.5
Valorant	103.7	102.9
Cyberpunk 2077	58.1	57.6
Apex Legends	97.5	96.7
Call of Duty Warzone	77.8	77.2
Overwatch	84.0	83.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.6	71.0
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.4
Warzone	80.9	80.2
Assassin's Creed	87.1	86.4
Valheim	86.1	85.4

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: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 i5-6400

49%

Core i5-2400

26%

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 i5-6400 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-2400 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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 machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in 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 i5-6400	Intel Core i5-2400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	140	104
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	497	378
Cinbench 20 Single-core	275	267
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1061	941
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1001	635
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3997	2350

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

	Intel Core i5-6400	Intel Core i5-2400
Single-Core	1957	1589
Multi-Core	5167	3799

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

	Intel Core i5-6400	Intel Core i5-2400
Single-Core	959	756
Multi-Core	3221	2483

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-6400	Intel Core i5-2400
Announcement date	April 01, 2015	October 01, 2010
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA 1151	LGA1155
Core name	Skylake	Sandy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	2
Turbo Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.4 MHz
Frequency	2.7 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2480 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR3 1066/1333
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	6 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. Here Core i5-2400 is 12% better than Core i5-6400 in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i5-6400 is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-2400 is better: 3
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-6400 and Intel Core i5-2400 before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-6400 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-2400 specs and review.