PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i3-4360T

2014

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
✅Costs $128 less on MSRP ($138 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Delivers 95.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 23.9 vs 12.2 PassMark/$ ($138 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 512W, a 477W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i5-4400E

2013

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,251 vs 3,294).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.2 vs 23.9 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $138 MSRP).
❌1362.9% higher power demand at 512W vs 35W.

Core i3-4360T

2014

Core i5-4400E

2013

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
✅Costs $128 less on MSRP ($138 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Delivers 95.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 23.9 vs 12.2 PassMark/$ ($138 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 512W, a 477W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,251 vs 3,294).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.2 vs 23.9 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $138 MSRP).
❌1362.9% higher power demand at 512W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-4360T better than Core i5-4400E?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-4400E is ahead with 3.1% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4360T pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark. Core i3-4360T also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4360T is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i3-4360T is the smarter buy today. Core i3-4360T is $128 cheaper on MSRP at $138 MSRP versus $266 MSRP, and it gives you 1.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-4400E is still the better pure gaming CPU with 3.1% higher max boost clock. It is also 95.3% better value on MSRP (23.9 vs 12.2 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i3-4360T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2013), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-4360T Benchmark Check

Core i5-4400E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	78 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	66 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	68 FPS
medium	55 FPS	57 FPS
high	42 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i3-4360T Open Core i5-4400E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	66 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	78 FPS	81 FPS
high	73 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	66 FPS
medium	57 FPS	59 FPS
high	40 FPS	41 FPS
ultra	27 FPS	28 FPS

Open Core i3-4360T Open Core i5-4400E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i3-4360T Open Core i5-4400E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i3-4360T Open Core i5-4400E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-4360T and Core i5-4400E

Core i3-4360T

The Core i3-4360T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,294 points. Launch price was $69.

Core i5-4400E

The Core i5-4400E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB + 3 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,251 points. Launch price was $266.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-4360T and Core i5-4400E share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i3-4360T versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-4400E — a 3.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-4400E (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). Both are built on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture using a 22 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i3-4360T scores 3,294 against the Core i5-4400E's 3,251 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i3-4360T. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-4360T vs 3 MB on the Core i5-4400E.

Feature	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.3 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+19%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)+33%	3 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	3,294+1%	3,251

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4360T uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4400E uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. The Core i3-4360T supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
Socket	LGA1150	BGA1364
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB+100%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 4600 (Core i3-4360T) and HD Graphics 4600 (Core i5-4400E) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4360T targets Desktop, Core i5-4400E targets Embedded.

Feature	Core i3-4360T	Core i5-4400E
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 4600	HD Graphics 4600
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-4360T launched at $138 MSRP, while the Core i5-4400E debuted at $266. On MSRP ($138 vs $266), the Core i3-4360T is $128 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-4360T delivers 23.9 pts/$ vs 12.2 pts/$ for the Core i5-4400E — making the Core i3-4360T the 64.5% better value option.