Core i5-10400F vs EPYC 9554P

Intel

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

EPYC 9554P

64 Cores128 Thrd360 WWMax: 3.75 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 $6,944 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $7,104 MSRP).
  • Delivers 451.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $7,104 MSRP).
  • Draws 65W instead of 360W, a 295W reduction.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9554P.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9554P across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 104,920).
  • Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9554P, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
  • Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while EPYC 9554P moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9554P

2022

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +52.9% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 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 14.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($7,104 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
  • 453.8% higher power demand at 360W vs 65W.
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9554P better than Core i5-10400F?
Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9554P 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 9554P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 52.9% more average FPS across 3 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 9554P is the better fit. You are getting 705.3% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 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 9554P is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9554P is 4340.0% more expensive on MSRP at $7,104 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 52.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 451.4% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 14.8 PassMark/$), 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 9554P 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, and more multi-core headroom with 64 cores / 128 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
1080p
low192 FPS171 FPS
medium152 FPS142 FPS
high123 FPS122 FPS
ultra100 FPS96 FPS
1440p
low153 FPS149 FPS
medium119 FPS120 FPS
high97 FPS97 FPS
ultra79 FPS77 FPS
4K
low82 FPS70 FPS
medium70 FPS60 FPS
high55 FPS47 FPS
ultra43 FPS39 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
1080p
low326 FPS533 FPS
medium318 FPS465 FPS
high290 FPS373 FPS
ultra253 FPS303 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS438 FPS
medium292 FPS392 FPS
high267 FPS323 FPS
ultra234 FPS255 FPS
4K
low309 FPS270 FPS
medium258 FPS246 FPS
high235 FPS216 FPS
ultra199 FPS179 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
1080p
low326 FPS673 FPS
medium326 FPS562 FPS
high326 FPS523 FPS
ultra326 FPS455 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS511 FPS
medium326 FPS426 FPS
high326 FPS390 FPS
ultra326 FPS337 FPS
4K
low326 FPS377 FPS
medium326 FPS295 FPS
high289 FPS263 FPS
ultra229 FPS211 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
1080p
low326 FPS905 FPS
medium326 FPS823 FPS
high326 FPS709 FPS
ultra326 FPS626 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS726 FPS
medium326 FPS633 FPS
high326 FPS541 FPS
ultra326 FPS463 FPS
4K
low326 FPS521 FPS
medium326 FPS465 FPS
high326 FPS408 FPS
ultra326 FPS351 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and EPYC 9554P

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 9554P

The EPYC 9554P 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 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.75 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): 360 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 104,920 points. Launch price was $7,104.

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 9554P offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the EPYC 9554P has 58 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.75 GHz on the EPYC 9554P — a 13.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 9554P uses Genoa (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the EPYC 9554P's 104,920 — a 155.8% lead for the EPYC 9554P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 9554P.

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
64 / 128+967%
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz+15%
3.75 GHz
Base Clock
2.9 GHz
3.1 GHz+7%
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
104,920+705%
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 9554P uses SP5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR5-4800 on the EPYC 9554P — the EPYC 9554P supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 12 (EPYC 9554P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 128 (EPYC 9554P) — the EPYC 9554P 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 9554P).

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
Socket
LGA1200
SP5
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
6 TB+4700%
RAM Channels
2
12+500%
ECC Support
No
Yes
PCIe Lanes
16
128+700%
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9554P). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, EPYC 9554P targets Data Center / Single Socket. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; EPYC 9554P rivals Xeon 8468.

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
Integrated GPU
No
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
AMD-V, SEV-SNP
Target Use
Gaming
Data Center / Single Socket
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the EPYC 9554P debuted at $7104. On MSRP ($160 vs $7104), the Core i5-10400F is $6944 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 14.8 pts/$ for the EPYC 9554P — making the Core i5-10400F the 138.6% better value option.

FeatureCore i5-10400FEPYC 9554P
MSRP
$160-98%
$7104
Performance per Dollar
81.4+450%
14.8
Release Date
2020
2022