Core i5-10400F vs EPYC 7203P

CPU

GPU

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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EPYC 7203P

8 Cores16 Thrd120 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-10400F

6 / 12

13,029

0.0%

22,017

+69.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen 9 9900X3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

About PassMark

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

✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 7203P.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7203P across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 22,017).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7203P, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while EPYC 7203P mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 7203P

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.1% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

EPYC 7203P

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 7203P.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.1% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7203P across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 22,017).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7203P, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while EPYC 7203P mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7203P better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7203P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-10400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 7203P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 28.1% more average FPS across 7 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7203P is the better fit. You are getting 69% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

EPYC 7203P is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 7203P is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 28.1% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

EPYC 7203P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 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

EPYC 7203P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 7203P
1080p
low	192 FPS	154 FPS
medium	152 FPS	126 FPS
high	123 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	140 FPS
medium	119 FPS	112 FPS
high	97 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	67 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 7203P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 7203P
1080p
low	326 FPS	393 FPS
medium	318 FPS	349 FPS
high	290 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	229 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	332 FPS
medium	292 FPS	300 FPS
high	267 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	195 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	205 FPS
medium	258 FPS	188 FPS
high	235 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	129 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 7203P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 7203P
1080p
low	326 FPS	550 FPS
medium	326 FPS	525 FPS
high	326 FPS	468 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	411 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	498 FPS
medium	326 FPS	405 FPS
high	326 FPS	355 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	361 FPS
medium	326 FPS	282 FPS
high	289 FPS	241 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	195 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 7203P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 7203P
1080p
low	326 FPS	550 FPS
medium	326 FPS	550 FPS
high	326 FPS	550 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	550 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	550 FPS
medium	326 FPS	550 FPS
high	326 FPS	521 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	447 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	498 FPS
medium	326 FPS	445 FPS
high	326 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	338 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open EPYC 7203P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and EPYC 7203P

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.

EPYC 7203P

The EPYC 7203P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,017 points. Launch price was $348.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 7203P offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the EPYC 7203P has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7203P — a 23.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 7203P uses Milan (2021−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the EPYC 7203P's 22,017 — a 51.3% lead for the EPYC 7203P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7203P.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 7203P
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+26%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+4%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Milan (2021−2023)
PassMark	13,029	22,017+69%
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 EPYC 7203P uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	EPYC 7203P
Socket	LGA1200	SP3
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 (EPYC 7203P). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.