Intel Core i7-9700KF vs Intel Core i5-10400

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-9700KF vs Intel Core i5-10400 and decide which is better for games or normal use for rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, MATLAB, AIDA64, PassMark, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, Blender, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, WPrime, Blender, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10400 or Intel Core i7-9700KF.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-9700KF

54%

Core i5-10400

53%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-9700KF is 1% 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 i7-9700KF

54%

Core i5-10400

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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. Therefore, if you think 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 other games in which processors were compared: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.5	94.8
Valorant	109.6	107.7
Cyberpunk 2077	61.4	60.3
Apex Legends	103.1	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	82.2	80.8
Overwatch	88.8	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.6	74.3
DOOM Eternal	54.8	53.9
Warzone	85.5	84.0
Assassin's Creed	92.1	90.5
Valheim	91.0	89.4

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 tested computers 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. Therefore, 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-9700KF

48%

Core i5-10400

63%

To make a final 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 i5-10400 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-9700KF as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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 streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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 i7-9700KF	Intel Core i5-10400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	214	190
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1520	1341
Cinbench 20 Single-core	467	450
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3295	3197
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1246	1110
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	9214	7610

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

	Intel Core i7-9700KF	Intel Core i5-10400
Single-Core	2977	2626
Multi-Core	14718	12503

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

	Intel Core i7-9700KF	Intel Core i5-10400
Single-Core	1376	1245
Multi-Core	8311	6654

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-9700KF	Intel Core i5-10400
Announcement date	April 01, 2019	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCLGA1200
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	10
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 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	12 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	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 i7-9700KF is 19% better than Core i5-10400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-9700KF 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 i7-9700KF is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10400 is better: 6
Although it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-9700KF and Intel Core i5-10400 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-9700KF - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-9700KF specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10400 specs and review.