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

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 5 225U.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 7,846).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 225U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌364.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 14W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 225U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 225U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 14W instead of 65W, a 51W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores), while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core Ultra 5 225U

2025

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 5 225U.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 14W instead of 65W, a 51W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores), while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 7,846).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 225U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌364.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 14W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 225U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225U better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core Ultra 5 225U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 35.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 41.5% higher 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 Ultra 5 225U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.5% 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 Ultra 5 225U is the better fit. You are getting 35.7% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 225U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core Ultra 5 225U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Ultra 5 225U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 Ultra 5 225U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	192 FPS	277 FPS
medium	152 FPS	248 FPS
high	123 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	181 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	230 FPS
medium	119 FPS	185 FPS
high	97 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	161 FPS
medium	70 FPS	131 FPS
high	55 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	326 FPS	420 FPS
medium	318 FPS	335 FPS
high	290 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	358 FPS
medium	292 FPS	296 FPS
high	267 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	278 FPS
medium	258 FPS	237 FPS
high	235 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	188 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	326 FPS	461 FPS
medium	326 FPS	461 FPS
high	326 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	461 FPS
medium	326 FPS	461 FPS
high	326 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	461 FPS
medium	326 FPS	461 FPS
high	289 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core Ultra 5 225U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	326 FPS	461 FPS
medium	326 FPS	461 FPS
high	326 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	461 FPS
medium	326 FPS	461 FPS
high	326 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	461 FPS
medium	326 FPS	461 FPS
high	326 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	410 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core Ultra 5 225U

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 Ultra 5 225U

The Core Ultra 5 225U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 14 MB + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,434 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 5 225U has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225U — a 11% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 225U uses Arrow Lake-U (2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core Ultra 5 225U's 18,434 — a 34.4% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225U. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 2,374, a 48.1% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 7,846 (30.3% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225U). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 12 MB on the Core Ultra 5 225U.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 14+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+21%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Arrow Lake-U (2025)
PassMark	13,029	18,434+41%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	2,374+63%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	7,846+36%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 225U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR5-6400 / LPDDR5x-8400 on the Core Ultra 5 225U — the Core Ultra 5 225U supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Core Ultra 5 225U) — the Core Ultra 5 225U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Meteor Lake SoC (Core Ultra 5 225U).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-6400 / LPDDR5x-8400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core Ultra 5 225U). The Core Ultra 5 225U includes integrated graphics (Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores)), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core Ultra 5 225U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core Ultra 5 225U rivals Ryzen 5 8640U.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core Ultra 5 225U
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x / VT-d / EPT
Target Use	Gaming	Productivity