Core i5-10400F vs Processor N97

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

✅Better for gaming: +136.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Processor N97.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Processor N97 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Processor N97 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Processor N97

2023

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (5,445 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Processor N97

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +136.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Processor N97.

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Processor N97 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Processor N97 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (5,445 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Processor N97?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 136.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 139.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 136.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 139.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).

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

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is at an unclear MSRP at $160 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 136.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Processor N97 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1264 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. 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

Processor N97 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Processor N97
1080p
low	192 FPS	136 FPS
medium	152 FPS	136 FPS
high	123 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	136 FPS
medium	119 FPS	114 FPS
high	97 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	68 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Processor N97

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Processor N97
1080p
low	326 FPS	107 FPS
medium	318 FPS	92 FPS
high	290 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	66 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	93 FPS
medium	292 FPS	79 FPS
high	267 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	60 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	72 FPS
medium	258 FPS	64 FPS
high	235 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Processor N97

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Processor N97
1080p
low	326 FPS	136 FPS
medium	326 FPS	136 FPS
high	326 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	136 FPS
medium	326 FPS	136 FPS
high	326 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	136 FPS
medium	326 FPS	136 FPS
high	289 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	136 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Processor N97

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Processor N97
1080p
low	326 FPS	136 FPS
medium	326 FPS	136 FPS
high	326 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	136 FPS
medium	326 FPS	136 FPS
high	326 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	136 FPS
medium	326 FPS	136 FPS
high	326 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	136 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Processor N97

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Processor N97

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.

Processor N97

The Processor N97 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-N (2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1264. Thermal design power (TDP): + 6 MB. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 4800 MHz Single-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 5,445 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Processor N97 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.6 GHz on the Processor N97 — a 17.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Processor N97 uses Alder Lake-N (2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Processor N97's 5,445 — a 82.1% lead for the Core i5-10400F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 6 MB (total) on the Processor N97.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Processor N97
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 4
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+19%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+45%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+100%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (total)+700%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Alder Lake-N (2023)
PassMark	13,029+139%	5,445
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 Processor N97 uses FCBGA1264 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Processor N97
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1264
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
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 (Processor N97). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.