Core i3-9300 vs Core i5-10400F

The Core i3-9300 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-10400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i3-9300 versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i3-9300 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-10400F uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-9300 scores 7,105 against the Core i5-10400F's 13,029 — a 58.8% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,498 vs 1,454, a 3% lead for the Core i3-9300 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 4,025 vs 5,783 (35.8% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-9300 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F.

The Core i3-9300 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-10400F uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: LGA1151 (Core i3-9300) and H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i3-9300 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

The Core i3-9300 launched at $143 MSRP, while the Core i5-10400F debuted at $160. At current prices ($75 vs $102), the Core i3-9300 is $27 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-9300 delivers 94.7 pts/$ vs 127.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-10400F — making the Core i5-10400F the 29.7% better value option.