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 $224 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-14700T across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 18,390).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 33 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i7-14700T moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-14700T

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +66.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
140% HIGHER MSRP
$384 MSRPvs$160 MSRP

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i7-14700T

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $224 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $384 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +66.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-14700T across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 18,390).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 33 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i7-14700T moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
140% HIGHER MSRP
$384 MSRPvs$160 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-14700T better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i7-14700T is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 66.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 218% better Geekbench multi-core, 142.6% higher 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 i7-14700T is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 66.4% 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 i7-14700T is the better fit. You are getting 218% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 28 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-14700T is the smarter buy today. Core i7-14700T is 140.0% more expensive on MSRP at $384 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 66.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1.1% better value on MSRP (82.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-10400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i7-14700T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 28 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 i7-14700T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
1080p
low	192 FPS	315 FPS
medium	152 FPS	306 FPS
high	123 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	204 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	272 FPS
medium	119 FPS	235 FPS
high	97 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	153 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	186 FPS
medium	70 FPS	160 FPS
high	55 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-14700T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
1080p
low	326 FPS	344 FPS
medium	318 FPS	294 FPS
high	290 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	299 FPS
medium	292 FPS	265 FPS
high	267 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	193 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	177 FPS
medium	258 FPS	160 FPS
high	235 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	133 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-14700T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
1080p
low	326 FPS	646 FPS
medium	326 FPS	528 FPS
high	326 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	403 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	588 FPS
medium	326 FPS	488 FPS
high	326 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	368 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	431 FPS
medium	326 FPS	371 FPS
high	289 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	288 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-14700T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
1080p
low	326 FPS	790 FPS
medium	326 FPS	790 FPS
high	326 FPS	717 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	644 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	772 FPS
medium	326 FPS	688 FPS
high	326 FPS	592 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	522 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	545 FPS
medium	326 FPS	494 FPS
high	326 FPS	440 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	384 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-14700T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i7-14700T

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 i7-14700T

The Core i7-14700T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 20 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 31,604 points. Launch price was $384.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-14700T offers 20 cores / 28 threads — the Core i7-14700T has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i7-14700T — a 18.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-14700T (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-14700T uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i7-14700T's 31,604 — a 83.2% lead for the Core i7-14700T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 2,723, a 60.8% lead for the Core i7-14700T that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 18,390 (104.3% advantage for the Core i7-14700T). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 33 MB (total) on the Core i7-14700T.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	20 / 28+233%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5.2 GHz+21%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+123%	1.3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	33 MB (total)+175%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	13,029	31,604+143%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	2,723+87%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	18,390+218%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-14700T uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-14700T — the Core i7-14700T supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-14700T supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Core i7-14700T) — the Core i7-14700T offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Z790,B760,H770,Z690,B660,H610 (Core i7-14700T).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-14700T). The Core i7-14700T includes integrated graphics (UHD 770), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i7-14700T targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core i7-14700T rivals Ryzen 7 7700.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-14700T
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD 770
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming	Productivity

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i7-14700T debuted at $384. On MSRP ($160 vs $384), the Core i5-10400F is $224 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 82.3 pts/$ for the Core i7-14700T — making the Core i7-14700T the 1.1% better value option.