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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-13600HX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600HX across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 27,646).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i5-13600HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600HX moves to FCBGA1964 and DDR5.

Core i5-13600HX

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +63.8% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1964 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i5-13600HX

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-13600HX.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +63.8% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1964 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-13600HX across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 27,646).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i5-13600HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-13600HX moves to FCBGA1964 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-13600HX better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i5-13600HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 63.8% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 112.2% 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 i5-13600HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 63.8% 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 i5-13600HX is the better fit. You are getting 112.2% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i5-13600HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i5-13600HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 63.8% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core i5-13600HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1964 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i5-13600HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-13600HX
1080p
low	192 FPS	262 FPS
medium	152 FPS	251 FPS
high	123 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	223 FPS
medium	119 FPS	191 FPS
high	97 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	154 FPS
medium	70 FPS	131 FPS
high	55 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-13600HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-13600HX
1080p
low	326 FPS	556 FPS
medium	318 FPS	472 FPS
high	290 FPS	400 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	457 FPS
medium	292 FPS	403 FPS
high	267 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	306 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	281 FPS
medium	258 FPS	248 FPS
high	235 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	208 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-13600HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-13600HX
1080p
low	326 FPS	648 FPS
medium	326 FPS	527 FPS
high	326 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	591 FPS
medium	326 FPS	486 FPS
high	326 FPS	425 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	370 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	434 FPS
medium	326 FPS	373 FPS
high	289 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	285 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-13600HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-13600HX
1080p
low	326 FPS	691 FPS
medium	326 FPS	691 FPS
high	326 FPS	691 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	691 FPS
medium	326 FPS	691 FPS
high	326 FPS	610 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	531 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	555 FPS
medium	326 FPS	504 FPS
high	326 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	392 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-13600HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i5-13600HX

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 i5-13600HX

The Core i5-13600HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-HX (2023) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): + 24 MB. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,646 points. Launch price was $284.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-13600HX offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i5-13600HX has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-13600HX — a 11% clock advantage for the Core i5-13600HX (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-13600HX uses Raptor Lake-HX (2023) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i5-13600HX's 27,646 — a 71.9% lead for the Core i5-13600HX. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i5-13600HX.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-13600HX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 20+133%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+12%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Raptor Lake-HX (2023)
PassMark	13,029	27,646+112%
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 i5-13600HX uses FCBGA1964 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-13600HX
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1964
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Core i5-13600HX). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.