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 $149 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅Delivers 77.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 45.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-10900TE.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 14,159).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 20 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i9-10900TE

2020

Why buy it

✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($309 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i9-10900TE

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅Delivers 77.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 45.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-10900TE.

Why buy it

✅+66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 14,159).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 20 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($309 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10900TE better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i9-10900TE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.7% average FPS lead across 8 shared CPU game tests in our data, 8.7% 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 i9-10900TE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.7% more average FPS across 8 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10900TE is the better fit. You are getting 8.7% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-10900TE is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-10900TE is 93.1% more expensive on MSRP at $309 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.7% average FPS lead across 8 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 77.7% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 45.8 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core i9-10900TE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 66.7% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 12 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 20 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 i9-10900TE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	192 FPS	163 FPS
medium	152 FPS	144 FPS
high	123 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	138 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	75 FPS
medium	70 FPS	69 FPS
high	55 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-10900TE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	326 FPS	267 FPS
medium	318 FPS	230 FPS
high	290 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	292 FPS	203 FPS
high	267 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	153 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	143 FPS
medium	258 FPS	126 FPS
high	235 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	104 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-10900TE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	326 FPS	354 FPS
medium	326 FPS	354 FPS
high	326 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	354 FPS
medium	326 FPS	354 FPS
high	326 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	354 FPS
medium	326 FPS	345 FPS
high	289 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	254 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-10900TE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	326 FPS	354 FPS
medium	326 FPS	354 FPS
high	326 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	354 FPS
medium	326 FPS	354 FPS
high	326 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	354 FPS
medium	326 FPS	354 FPS
high	326 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	354 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-10900TE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i9-10900TE

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 i9-10900TE

The Core i9-10900TE 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 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,159 points. Launch price was $488.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-10900TE offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-10900TE has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-10900TE — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900TE (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). Both are built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i9-10900TE's 14,159 — a 8.3% lead for the Core i9-10900TE. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 20 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900TE.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+61%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	20 MB (total)+67%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	13,029	14,159+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1200 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1200
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	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Core i9-10900TE). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-10900TE
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 i9-10900TE debuted at $309. On MSRP ($160 vs $309), the Core i5-10400F is $149 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 45.8 pts/$ for the Core i9-10900TE — making the Core i5-10400F the 56% better value option.