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: +19.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $269 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅Delivers 236.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 24.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-1365UE.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i7-1365UE moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i7-1365UE

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,379 vs 13,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($429 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i7-1365UE

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $269 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅Delivers 236.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 24.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $429 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-1365UE.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i7-1365UE moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,379 vs 13,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($429 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core i7-1365UE?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 25.5% better PassMark, 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 19.9% 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 i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 25.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is $269 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $429 MSRP, and it gives you a 19.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 236.6% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 24.2 PassMark/$), 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 i7-1365UE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. 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 i7-1365UE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
1080p
low	192 FPS	259 FPS
medium	152 FPS	238 FPS
high	123 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	228 FPS
medium	119 FPS	182 FPS
high	97 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	160 FPS
medium	70 FPS	129 FPS
high	55 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-1365UE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
1080p
low	326 FPS	217 FPS
medium	318 FPS	184 FPS
high	290 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	146 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	184 FPS
medium	292 FPS	162 FPS
high	267 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	144 FPS
medium	258 FPS	130 FPS
high	235 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-1365UE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
1080p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	289 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	259 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-1365UE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
1080p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-1365UE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i7-1365UE

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 i7-1365UE

The Core i7-1365UE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 10,379 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-1365UE offers 10 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-1365UE has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-1365UE — a 13% clock advantage for the Core i7-1365UE (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-1365UE uses Raptor Lake-U (2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i7-1365UE's 10,379 — a 22.6% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 12+67%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.9 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+71%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Raptor Lake-U (2023)
PassMark	13,029+26%	10,379
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 i7-1365UE uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1744
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 i7-1365UE). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-1365UE
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i7-1365UE debuted at $429. On MSRP ($160 vs $429), the Core i5-10400F is $269 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 24.2 pts/$ for the Core i7-1365UE — making the Core i5-10400F the 108.4% better value option.