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 $328 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $488 MSRP).
✅Delivers 120.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 36.9 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $488 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-9900KF.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900KF across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 12,812).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Core i9-9900KF

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +49.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.9 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($488 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i9-9900KF

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $328 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $488 MSRP).
✅Delivers 120.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 36.9 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $488 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-9900KF.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +49.4% higher average FPS across 3 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 i9-9900KF across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 12,812).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.9 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($488 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900KF better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i9-9900KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 49.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 56.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 38.4% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9900KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 49.4% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900KF is the better fit. You are getting 56.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 i9-9900KF is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-9900KF is 205.0% more expensive on MSRP at $488 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 49.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 120.4% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 36.9 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-10400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i9-9900KF Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
1080p
low	192 FPS	301 FPS
medium	152 FPS	264 FPS
high	123 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	247 FPS
medium	119 FPS	195 FPS
high	97 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	170 FPS
medium	70 FPS	136 FPS
high	55 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9900KF

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
1080p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	318 FPS	451 FPS
high	290 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	292 FPS	451 FPS
high	267 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	400 FPS
medium	258 FPS	342 FPS
high	235 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	274 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9900KF

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
1080p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	289 FPS	425 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	354 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9900KF

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
1080p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-9900KF

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i9-9900KF

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 i9-9900KF

The Core i9-9900KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 18,029 points. Launch price was $488.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-9900KF offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-9900KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900KF — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900KF (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-9900KF uses Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i9-9900KF's 18,029 — a 32.2% lead for the Core i9-9900KF. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 12,812 (44% advantage for the Core i9-9900KF). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,720, a 16.8% lead for the Core i9-9900KF that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 8,150 (34% advantage for the Core i9-9900KF). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900KF.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.6 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)
PassMark	13,029	18,029+38%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	12,812+56%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	1,720+18%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	8,150+41%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-9900KF uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Z390,Z370,H370,B365,B360 (Core i9-9900KF).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i9-9900KF has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i9-9900KF targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-9900KF
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i9-9900KF debuted at $488. On MSRP ($160 vs $488), the Core i5-10400F is $328 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 36.9 pts/$ for the Core i9-9900KF — making the Core i5-10400F the 75.2% better value option.