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

✅+2.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Costs $143 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
✅Delivers 93.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 42.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,454 vs 1,535).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-8700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-8700

2017

Why buy it

✅+5.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (7,969 vs 8,191).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i7-8700

2017

Why buy it

✅+2.8% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Costs $143 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
✅Delivers 93.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 42.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+5.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,454 vs 1,535).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-8700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (7,969 vs 8,191).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core i7-8700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-8700 is ahead with 5.6% stronger Geekbench single-core performance. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10400F pulls ahead with 2.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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 2.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 $143 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $303 MSRP, and it gives you 2.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The trade-off is that Core i7-8700 is still the better pure gaming CPU with 5.6% stronger Geekbench single-core performance. It is also 93.6% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 42.1 PassMark/$), 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 a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017) 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 i7-8700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
1080p
low	192 FPS	183 FPS
medium	152 FPS	150 FPS
high	123 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	155 FPS
medium	119 FPS	125 FPS
high	97 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	87 FPS
medium	70 FPS	76 FPS
high	55 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-8700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
1080p
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	318 FPS	319 FPS
high	290 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	270 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	292 FPS	312 FPS
high	267 FPS	283 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	315 FPS
medium	258 FPS	264 FPS
high	235 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	200 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-8700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
1080p
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	326 FPS	319 FPS
high	326 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	326 FPS	319 FPS
high	326 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	319 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	326 FPS	319 FPS
high	289 FPS	302 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	240 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-8700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
1080p
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	326 FPS	319 FPS
high	326 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	326 FPS	319 FPS
high	326 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	319 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	319 FPS
medium	326 FPS	319 FPS
high	326 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	319 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-8700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i7-8700

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 i7-8700

The Core i7-8700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12288 kB. L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,747 points. Launch price was $303.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Core i7-8700 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 i7-8700 — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-8700 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-8700 uses Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i7-8700's 12,747 — a 2.2% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 7,969 (2.7% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,535, a 5.4% lead for the Core i7-8700 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 6,200 (7% advantage for the Core i7-8700). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 12288 kB on the Core i7-8700.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.6 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12288 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)
PassMark	13,029+2%	12,747
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191+3%	7,969
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	1,535+6%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	6,200+7%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-8700 uses LGA1151 (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 300-series (Core i7-8700).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-8700 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i7-8700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core i7-8700 rivals Ryzen 5 2600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-8700
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i7-8700 debuted at $303. On MSRP ($160 vs $303), the Core i5-10400F is $143 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 42.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-8700 — making the Core i5-10400F the 63.7% better value option.