Core i5-10400F vs Core i9-8950HK

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: +5.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-8950HK.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i9-8950HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Core i9-8950HK

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,373 vs 13,029).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i9-8950HK

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-8950HK.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i9-8950HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,373 vs 13,029).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Core i9-8950HK?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 25.6% 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 5.3% 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 25.6% 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 at an unclear MSRP at $160 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2018) 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 i9-8950HK Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-8950HK
1080p
low	192 FPS	259 FPS
medium	152 FPS	246 FPS
high	123 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	239 FPS
medium	119 FPS	194 FPS
high	97 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	167 FPS
medium	70 FPS	138 FPS
high	55 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-8950HK

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-8950HK
1080p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	318 FPS	259 FPS
high	290 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	292 FPS	259 FPS
high	267 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	259 FPS
medium	258 FPS	259 FPS
high	235 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	200 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-8950HK

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-8950HK
1080p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	289 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	259 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-8950HK

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-8950HK
1080p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	259 FPS
medium	326 FPS	259 FPS
high	326 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	259 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-8950HK

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i9-8950HK

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 i9-8950HK

The Core i9-8950HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 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: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,373 points. Launch price was $583.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Core i9-8950HK share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-8950HK — a 11% clock advantage for the Core i9-8950HK (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-8950HK uses Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i9-8950HK's 10,373 — a 22.7% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-8950HK
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	2.9 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-H (2018−2019)
PassMark	13,029+26%	10,373
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 i9-8950HK uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-8950HK
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	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Core i9-8950HK). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.