Core i5-10400F vs M2

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 M2.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌225% higher power demand at 65W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

M2

2022

Why buy it

✅+14.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 20W instead of 65W, a 45W 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

M2

2022

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M2.

Why buy it

✅+14.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 20W instead of 65W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌225% higher power demand at 65W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is M2 better than Core i5-10400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-10400F is ahead with a 0.8% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M2 pulls ahead with 14.6% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 is the better fit. You are getting 14.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

M2 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M2 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you 14.6% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-10400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.8% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

M2 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 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.

Core i5-10400F Benchmark Check

M2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M2
1080p
low	192 FPS	175 FPS
medium	152 FPS	140 FPS
high	123 FPS	113 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 M2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M2
1080p
low	326 FPS	288 FPS
medium	318 FPS	246 FPS
high	290 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	248 FPS
medium	292 FPS	220 FPS
high	267 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	150 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	174 FPS
medium	258 FPS	159 FPS
high	235 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M2
1080p
low	326 FPS	373 FPS
medium	326 FPS	373 FPS
high	326 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	373 FPS
medium	326 FPS	373 FPS
high	326 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	363 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	373 FPS
medium	326 FPS	314 FPS
high	289 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M2
1080p
low	326 FPS	373 FPS
medium	326 FPS	373 FPS
high	326 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	373 FPS
medium	326 FPS	373 FPS
high	326 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	373 FPS
medium	326 FPS	373 FPS
high	326 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	328 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and M2

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.

M2

The M2 is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 10 June 2022 (3 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.48 GHz. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 14,933 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M2 offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the M2 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.48 GHz on the M2 — a 21.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.424 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 M2's 14,933 — a 13.6% lead for the M2.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M2
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 8+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+24%	3.48 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+20%	2.424 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	20 MB+7900%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	—
PassMark	13,029	14,933+15%
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 M2 uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M2
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 (M2). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.