Core i5-10400F vs M1 Max

CPU

GPU

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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M1 Max

10 Cores10 Thrd28 WWMax: 3.22 GHz2021

Popular choices:

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Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-10400F

6 / 12

13,029

0.0%

22,146

+70.0%

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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M1 Max.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M1 Max across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 22,146).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M1 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

M1 Max

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.8% higher average FPS across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with M1 Max GPU, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-10400F

2020

M1 Max

2021

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M1 Max.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.8% higher average FPS across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with M1 Max GPU, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M1 Max across 31 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 22,146).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M1 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is M1 Max better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. M1 Max is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.8% average FPS lead across 31 shared CPU game tests in our data, 70% better 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, M1 Max is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.8% more average FPS across 31 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M1 Max is the better fit. You are getting 70% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).

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

M1 Max is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M1 Max is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.8% average FPS lead across 31 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. 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, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

M1 Max is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 10 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

M1 Max Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Max
1080p
low	192 FPS	183 FPS
medium	152 FPS	146 FPS
high	123 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	97 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	71 FPS
medium	70 FPS	59 FPS
high	55 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Max

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Max
1080p
low	326 FPS	236 FPS
medium	318 FPS	211 FPS
high	290 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	137 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	200 FPS
medium	292 FPS	182 FPS
high	267 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	117 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	122 FPS
medium	258 FPS	113 FPS
high	235 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Max

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Max
1080p
low	326 FPS	554 FPS
medium	326 FPS	554 FPS
high	326 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	510 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	554 FPS
medium	326 FPS	473 FPS
high	326 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	417 FPS
medium	326 FPS	323 FPS
high	289 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Max

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Max
1080p
low	326 FPS	554 FPS
medium	326 FPS	554 FPS
high	326 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	554 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	554 FPS
medium	326 FPS	554 FPS
high	326 FPS	532 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	453 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	509 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	341 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Max

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and M1 Max

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.

M1 Max

The M1 Max is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 48 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,146 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M1 Max offers 10 cores / 10 threads — the M1 Max has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.22 GHz on the M1 Max — a 28.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.06 GHz). The Core i5-10400F is built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the M1 Max's 22,146 — a 51.8% lead for the M1 Max. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 48 MB on the M1 Max.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M1 Max
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 10+67%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+34%	3.22 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+41%	2.06 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	48 MB+300%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	28 MB+11100%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	—
PassMark	13,029	22,146+70%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the M1 Max uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus LPDDR5-6400 on the M1 Max — the M1 Max 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 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 8 (M1 Max). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 0 (M1 Max) — the Core i5-10400F offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M1 Max
Socket	LGA1200	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	LPDDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs ARM-V (M1 Max). The M1 Max includes integrated graphics (M1 Max GPU), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, M1 Max targets Mobile Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.