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 i5-10400F

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +46.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-10400H.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i5-10400H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-10400H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-10400H

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,246 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i5-10400H

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +46.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-10400H.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i5-10400H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-10400H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,246 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core i5-10400H?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 46.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 58% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 46.4% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 58% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).

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

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is at an unclear MSRP at $160 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 46.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. 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 i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Core i5-10400H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-10400H
1080p
low	192 FPS	183 FPS
medium	152 FPS	149 FPS
high	123 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	150 FPS
medium	119 FPS	119 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	84 FPS
medium	70 FPS	72 FPS
high	55 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-10400H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-10400H
1080p
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	318 FPS	206 FPS
high	290 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	292 FPS	206 FPS
high	267 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	182 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	206 FPS
medium	258 FPS	185 FPS
high	235 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	126 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-10400H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-10400H
1080p
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	326 FPS	206 FPS
high	326 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	326 FPS	206 FPS
high	326 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	206 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	326 FPS	206 FPS
high	289 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	206 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-10400H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-10400H
1080p
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	326 FPS	206 FPS
high	326 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	326 FPS	206 FPS
high	326 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	206 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	206 FPS
medium	326 FPS	206 FPS
high	326 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	206 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-10400H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i5-10400H

Core i5-10400F

The Core i5-10400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,029 points. Launch price was $155.

Core i5-10400H

The Core i5-10400H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 8,246 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-10400H offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-10400H — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400H (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-10400H uses Comet Lake-H (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i5-10400H's 8,246 — a 45% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,391, a 4.4% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400H.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-10400H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.6 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+12%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+100%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Comet Lake-H (2020)
PassMark	13,029+58%	8,246
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454+5%	1,391
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-10400H uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and HM470,QM480,WM490 (Core i5-10400H).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-10400H
Socket	LGA1200	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-10400H). The Core i5-10400H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i5-10400H targets Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core i5-10400H rivals Ryzen 5 4600H.