Intel Core i5-9600K vs Intel Core i5-10400F

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-9600K vs Intel Core i5-10400F and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, programming. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as Prime95, AIDA64, PassMark, MATLAB, 7zip, Blender, SuperPi, RealBench, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, Handbrake, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10400F or Intel Core i5-9600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-9600K

53%

Core i5-10400F

53%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9600K

53%

Core i5-10400F

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just 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), Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.5	94.6
Valorant	107.4	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	60.1	60.2
Apex Legends	101.0	101.0
Call of Duty Warzone	80.6	80.6
Overwatch	87.0	87.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.1	74.1
DOOM Eternal	53.7	53.7
Warzone	83.8	83.8
Assassin's Creed	90.2	90.3
Valheim	89.1	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: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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 i5-9600K

48%

Core i5-10400F

58%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i5-10400F is more energy efficient than the Core i5-9600K as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i5-9600K	Intel Core i5-10400F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	204	190
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1165	1341
Cinbench 20 Single-core	481	450
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2624	3197
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1276	1110
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7301	7610

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

	Intel Core i5-9600K	Intel Core i5-10400F
Single-Core	2761	2608
Multi-Core	10894	12648

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

	Intel Core i5-9600K	Intel Core i5-10400F
Single-Core	1396	1150
Multi-Core	6386	6428

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-9600K	Intel Core i5-10400F
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCLGA1200
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	10
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	6	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 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	9 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. Here Core i5-9600K is 21% better than Core i5-10400F 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 i5-9600K is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10400F is better: 15
However, it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-9600K and Intel Core i5-10400F before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-9600K specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10400F specs and review.