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 $379 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Delivers 75.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 46.4 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-11900K.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11900K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 24,990).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Core i9-11900K

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.4 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($539 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i9-11900K

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $379 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Delivers 75.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 46.4 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-11900K.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11900K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 24,990).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.4 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($539 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-11900K better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i9-11900K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 43.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 91.8% 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 i9-11900K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 43.0% 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 i9-11900K is the better fit. You are getting 91.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-11900K is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-11900K is 236.9% more expensive on MSRP at $539 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 43.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 75.6% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 46.4 PassMark/$), 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 i9-11900K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 i9-11900K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	192 FPS	259 FPS
medium	152 FPS	240 FPS
high	123 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	225 FPS
medium	119 FPS	188 FPS
high	97 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	154 FPS
medium	70 FPS	129 FPS
high	55 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-11900K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	326 FPS	419 FPS
medium	318 FPS	353 FPS
high	290 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	283 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	372 FPS
medium	292 FPS	324 FPS
high	267 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	249 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	248 FPS
medium	258 FPS	223 FPS
high	235 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	184 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-11900K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	326 FPS	625 FPS
medium	326 FPS	536 FPS
high	326 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	398 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	598 FPS
medium	326 FPS	497 FPS
high	326 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	427 FPS
medium	326 FPS	370 FPS
high	289 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	280 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-11900K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	326 FPS	625 FPS
medium	326 FPS	625 FPS
high	326 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	625 FPS
medium	326 FPS	625 FPS
high	326 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	625 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	625 FPS
medium	326 FPS	576 FPS
high	326 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-11900K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i9-11900K

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 i9-11900K

The Core i9-11900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 24,990 points. Launch price was $539.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-11900K offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-11900K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-11900K — a 18.9% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900K (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-11900K uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i9-11900K's 24,990 — a 62.9% lead for the Core i9-11900K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900K.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-11900K
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5.2 GHz+21%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.5 GHz+21%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Rocket Lake (2021)
PassMark	13,029	24,990+92%
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 i9-11900K
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
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 i9-11900K). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-11900K
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 i9-11900K debuted at $539. On MSRP ($160 vs $539), the Core i5-10400F is $379 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 46.4 pts/$ for the Core i9-11900K — making the Core i5-10400F the 54.9% better value option.