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

✅Costs $25 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $185 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-11500B.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11500B across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 17,075).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 92.3 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $185 MSRP).
❌766.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 7.5W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500B can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-11500B

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 13.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 92.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($185 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 58W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EU, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
15.6% HIGHER MSRP
$185 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i5-11500B

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $25 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $185 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-11500B.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 13.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 92.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($185 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 58W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 32EU, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-11500B across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 17,075).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 92.3 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $185 MSRP).
❌766.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 7.5W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11500B can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
15.6% HIGHER MSRP
$185 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-11500B better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i5-11500B is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 31.1% 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 i5-11500B is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 19.2% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-11500B is the better fit. You are getting 31.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-11500B is the smarter buy today. Core i5-11500B is 15.6% more expensive on MSRP at $185 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 19.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 13.3% better value on MSRP (92.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), 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 i5-11500B is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 i5-11500B Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
1080p
low	192 FPS	187 FPS
medium	152 FPS	151 FPS
high	123 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	151 FPS
medium	119 FPS	119 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	80 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 i5-11500B

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
1080p
low	326 FPS	394 FPS
medium	318 FPS	318 FPS
high	290 FPS	283 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	244 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	352 FPS
medium	292 FPS	288 FPS
high	267 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	226 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	291 FPS
medium	258 FPS	243 FPS
high	235 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	188 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-11500B

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
1080p
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	427 FPS
high	326 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	427 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	427 FPS
high	326 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	366 FPS
high	289 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	252 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-11500B

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
1080p
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	427 FPS
high	326 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	427 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	427 FPS
high	326 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	427 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	427 FPS
high	326 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	422 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-11500B

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i5-11500B

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 i5-11500B

The Core i5-11500B is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. L2 cache: 7.5 MB. Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,075 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Core i5-11500B share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-11500B — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-11500B (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-11500B uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i5-11500B's 17,075 — a 26.9% lead for the Core i5-11500B. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 12 MB on the Core i5-11500B.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.6 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.3 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	7.5 MB+2900%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	13,029	17,075+31%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-11500B uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — 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. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Core i5-11500B) — the Core i5-11500B offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i5-11500B supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i5-11500B includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 32EU), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i5-11500B targets Desktop / Mini PC. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-11500B
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 32EU
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Desktop / Mini PC

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i5-11500B debuted at $185. On MSRP ($160 vs $185), the Core i5-10400F is $25 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 92.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-11500B — making the Core i5-11500B the 12.5% better value option.