Core i5-10400F vs Core i7-9750H

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

✅+22.8% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-9750H.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i7-9750H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i7-9750H

2019

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,611 vs 13,029).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i7-9750H

2019

Why buy it

✅+22.8% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-9750H.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i7-9750H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,611 vs 13,029).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core i7-9750H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9750H is ahead with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10400F pulls ahead with 22.8% better PassMark.

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 22.8% 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 at an unclear MSRP at $160 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 22.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9750H is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2019) 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 i7-9750H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-9750H
1080p
low	192 FPS	179 FPS
medium	152 FPS	147 FPS
high	123 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	119 FPS	124 FPS
high	97 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	85 FPS
medium	70 FPS	75 FPS
high	55 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-9750H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-9750H
1080p
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	318 FPS	265 FPS
high	290 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	265 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	292 FPS	265 FPS
high	267 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	241 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	265 FPS
medium	258 FPS	259 FPS
high	235 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	197 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-9750H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-9750H
1080p
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	326 FPS	265 FPS
high	326 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	265 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	326 FPS	265 FPS
high	326 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	326 FPS	265 FPS
high	289 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	239 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-9750H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-9750H
1080p
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	326 FPS	265 FPS
high	326 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	265 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	326 FPS	265 FPS
high	326 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	265 FPS
medium	326 FPS	265 FPS
high	326 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	265 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-9750H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i7-9750H

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 i7-9750H

The Core i7-9750H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,611 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Core i7-9750H share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i7-9750H — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-9750H (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-9750H uses Coffee Lake-HR (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i7-9750H's 10,611 — a 20.5% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-9750H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+12%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)
PassMark	13,029+23%	10,611
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-9750H uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-9750H
Socket	LGA1200	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Core i7-9750H). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.