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: +70.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $839 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1040.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 7.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-990X

2011

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,135 vs 13,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i7-990X

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $839 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1040.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 7.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,135 vs 13,029).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core i7-990X?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 70.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 82.6% 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 i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 70.3% 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 82.6% 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 $839 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it gives you a 70.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1040.2% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 7.1 PassMark/$), 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 2011) 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 i7-990X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	192 FPS	168 FPS
medium	152 FPS	143 FPS
high	123 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	141 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	97 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	64 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-990X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	318 FPS	178 FPS
high	290 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	292 FPS	164 FPS
high	267 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	163 FPS
medium	258 FPS	143 FPS
high	235 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	95 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-990X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	326 FPS	178 FPS
high	326 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	326 FPS	178 FPS
high	326 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	178 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	326 FPS	178 FPS
high	289 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	178 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-990X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	326 FPS	178 FPS
high	326 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	326 FPS	178 FPS
high	326 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	178 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	178 FPS
medium	326 FPS	178 FPS
high	326 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	178 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-990X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i7-990X

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 i7-990X

The Core i7-990X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.46 GHz, with boost up to 3.73 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 7,135 points. Launch price was $1,104.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Core i7-990X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.73 GHz on the Core i7-990X — a 14.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.46 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-990X uses Gulftown (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i7-990X's 7,135 — a 58.5% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+15%	3.73 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.46 GHz+19%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Gulftown (2010−2011)
PassMark	13,029+83%	7,135
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 i7-990X uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
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 i7-990X). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-990X
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 i7-990X debuted at $999. On MSRP ($160 vs $999), the Core i5-10400F is $839 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 7.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-990X — making the Core i5-10400F the 167.7% better value option.