Core i5-10400F vs EPYC 9374F

Intel

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

EPYC 9374F

32 Cores64 Thrd320 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2022

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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

  • Costs $4,690 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $4,850 MSRP).
  • Delivers 381.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 16.9 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $4,850 MSRP).
  • Draws 65W instead of 320W, a 255W reduction.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9374F.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9374F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 82,009).
  • Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9374F, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
  • Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while EPYC 9374F moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9374F

2022

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +82.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
  • Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
  • 700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.9 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($4,850 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
  • 392.3% higher power demand at 320W vs 65W.
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9374F better than Core i5-10400F?
Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9374F 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 9374F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 82.3% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 256 MB vs 12 MB.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9374F is the better fit. You are getting 529.4% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 2033.3% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 12 MB).
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
EPYC 9374F is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9374F is 2931.3% more expensive on MSRP at $4,850 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 82.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 381.6% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 16.9 PassMark/$), 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 9374F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with SP5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 256 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
1080p
low192 FPS218 FPS
medium152 FPS180 FPS
high123 FPS154 FPS
ultra100 FPS111 FPS
1440p
low153 FPS191 FPS
medium119 FPS152 FPS
high97 FPS125 FPS
ultra79 FPS92 FPS
4K
low82 FPS88 FPS
medium70 FPS75 FPS
high55 FPS59 FPS
ultra43 FPS48 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
1080p
low326 FPS637 FPS
medium318 FPS556 FPS
high290 FPS449 FPS
ultra253 FPS392 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS538 FPS
medium292 FPS478 FPS
high267 FPS397 FPS
ultra234 FPS327 FPS
4K
low309 FPS334 FPS
medium258 FPS300 FPS
high235 FPS269 FPS
ultra199 FPS240 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
1080p
low326 FPS817 FPS
medium326 FPS690 FPS
high326 FPS624 FPS
ultra326 FPS545 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS616 FPS
medium326 FPS518 FPS
high326 FPS461 FPS
ultra326 FPS395 FPS
4K
low326 FPS441 FPS
medium326 FPS352 FPS
high289 FPS310 FPS
ultra229 FPS247 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
1080p
low326 FPS1138 FPS
medium326 FPS1015 FPS
high326 FPS875 FPS
ultra326 FPS784 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS880 FPS
medium326 FPS774 FPS
high326 FPS654 FPS
ultra326 FPS570 FPS
4K
low326 FPS623 FPS
medium326 FPS564 FPS
high326 FPS488 FPS
ultra326 FPS425 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and EPYC 9374F

Intel

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.

AMD

EPYC 9374F

The EPYC 9374F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3.85 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 320 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 82,009 points. Launch price was $4,850.

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 9374F offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the EPYC 9374F has 26 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.3 GHz on the EPYC 9374F — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.85 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 9374F uses Genoa (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the EPYC 9374F's 82,009 — a 145.2% lead for the EPYC 9374F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 9374F.

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
32 / 64+433%
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.3 GHz
Base Clock
2.9 GHz
3.85 GHz+33%
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)
256 MB (total)+2033%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
1 MB (per core)+300%
Process
14 nm
5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
Genoa (2022−2023)
PassMark
13,029
82,009+529%
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 9374F uses SP5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 4800 on the EPYC 9374F — the EPYC 9374F supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 9374F supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 128 GB 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 12 (EPYC 9374F). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 128 (EPYC 9374F) — the EPYC 9374F offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and SP5 (EPYC 9374F).

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
Socket
LGA1200
SP5
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
4800+119900%
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB+2184433%
6144
RAM Channels
2
12+500%
ECC Support
No
Yes
PCIe Lanes
16
128+700%
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the EPYC 9374F supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9374F). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; EPYC 9374F rivals Xeon Platinum 8480+.

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
Integrated GPU
No
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
VT-x, VT-d, SEV-SNP
Target Use
Gaming
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the EPYC 9374F debuted at $4850. On MSRP ($160 vs $4850), the Core i5-10400F is $4690 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 16.9 pts/$ for the EPYC 9374F — making the Core i5-10400F the 131.2% better value option.

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9374F
MSRP
$160-97%
$4850
Performance per Dollar
81.4+382%
16.9
Release Date
2020
2022