Core i5-10400F vs M3 Pro 11-Core

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 M3 Pro 11-Core.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M3 Pro 11-Core across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 24,861).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M3 Pro 11-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while M3 Pro 11-Core moves to none and DDR5.

M3 Pro 11-Core

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +50.2% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅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

M3 Pro 11-Core

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M3 Pro 11-Core.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +50.2% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M3 Pro 11-Core across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 24,861).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while M3 Pro 11-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while M3 Pro 11-Core moves to none and DDR5.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is M3 Pro 11-Core better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. M3 Pro 11-Core is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 50.2% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 90.8% 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, M3 Pro 11-Core is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 50.2% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M3 Pro 11-Core is the better fit. You are getting 90.8% better PassMark, backed by 11 cores and 11 threads.

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

M3 Pro 11-Core is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M3 Pro 11-Core is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 50.2% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

M3 Pro 11-Core is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 11 cores / 11 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

M3 Pro 11-Core Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	192 FPS	182 FPS
medium	152 FPS	146 FPS
high	123 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	146 FPS
medium	119 FPS	115 FPS
high	97 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	67 FPS
medium	70 FPS	56 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	326 FPS	399 FPS
medium	318 FPS	339 FPS
high	290 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	256 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	352 FPS
medium	292 FPS	309 FPS
high	267 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	230 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	255 FPS
medium	258 FPS	229 FPS
high	235 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	184 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	326 FPS	622 FPS
medium	326 FPS	622 FPS
high	326 FPS	622 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	593 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	622 FPS
medium	326 FPS	515 FPS
high	326 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	400 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	452 FPS
medium	326 FPS	356 FPS
high	289 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	248 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	326 FPS	622 FPS
medium	326 FPS	622 FPS
high	326 FPS	622 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	621 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	622 FPS
medium	326 FPS	622 FPS
high	326 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	469 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	494 FPS
medium	326 FPS	443 FPS
high	326 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and M3 Pro 11-Core

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.

M3 Pro 11-Core

The M3 Pro 11-Core is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 30 October 2023 (2 years ago). It features 11 cores and 11 threads. Base frequency is 2.748 GHz, with boost up to 4.06 GHz. Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: none. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,861 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M3 Pro 11-Core offers 11 cores / 11 threads — the M3 Pro 11-Core has 5 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.06 GHz on the M3 Pro 11-Core — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.748 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 M3 Pro 11-Core's 24,861 — a 62.5% lead for the M3 Pro 11-Core.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	11 / 11+83%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+6%	4.06 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+6%	2.748 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	3 nm-79%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	—
PassMark	13,029	24,861+91%
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 M3 Pro 11-Core uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
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	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (M3 Pro 11-Core). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.