Core i5-10400F vs M1 Pro

CPU

GPU

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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M1 Pro

10 Cores10 Thrd28 WWMax: 3.22 GHz2021

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-10400F

6 / 12

13,029

0.0%

17,218

+32.2%

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 Pro.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M1 Pro across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 17,218).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M1 Pro mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

M1 Pro

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-10400F

2020

M1 Pro

2021

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M1 Pro across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 17,218).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M1 Pro 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 Pro better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. M1 Pro is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 9.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 32.2% 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 Pro is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 9.3% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro is the better fit. You are getting 32.2% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

M1 Pro is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M1 Pro is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Pro 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, 100% larger total L3 cache (24 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 Pro Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Pro
1080p
low	192 FPS	175 FPS
medium	152 FPS	141 FPS
high	123 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	141 FPS
medium	119 FPS	111 FPS
high	97 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	66 FPS
medium	70 FPS	55 FPS
high	55 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Pro

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Pro
1080p
low	326 FPS	215 FPS
medium	318 FPS	190 FPS
high	290 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	129 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	183 FPS
medium	292 FPS	167 FPS
high	267 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	114 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	116 FPS
medium	258 FPS	107 FPS
high	235 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	77 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Pro

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Pro
1080p
low	326 FPS	430 FPS
medium	326 FPS	430 FPS
high	326 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	430 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	430 FPS
medium	326 FPS	430 FPS
high	326 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	359 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	414 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	289 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Pro

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M1 Pro
1080p
low	326 FPS	430 FPS
medium	326 FPS	430 FPS
high	326 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	430 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	430 FPS
medium	326 FPS	430 FPS
high	326 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	429 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	430 FPS
medium	326 FPS	408 FPS
high	326 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	315 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M1 Pro

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 Pro

The M1 Pro is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.064 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 24 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,218 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M1 Pro offers 10 cores / 10 threads — the M1 Pro has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.22 GHz on the M1 Pro — a 28.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.064 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 Pro's 17,218 — a 27.7% lead for the M1 Pro. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 24 MB on the M1 Pro.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M1 Pro
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 10+67%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+34%	3.22 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+41%	2.064 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24 MB+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	28 MB+11100%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	—
PassMark	13,029	17,218+32%
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 Pro uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M1 Pro
Socket	LGA1200	none
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 (M1 Pro). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.