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: +29.1% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Delivers 31.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 61.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 3400G.

Trade-offs

❌
7.4% HIGHER MSRP
$160 MSRPvs$149 MSRP

Ryzen 5 3400G

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $11 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,201 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 3400G

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.1% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Delivers 31.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 61.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 3400G.

Why buy it

✅Costs $11 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
7.4% HIGHER MSRP
$160 MSRPvs$149 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,201 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Ryzen 5 3400G?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 29.1% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 41.6% 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, Core i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 29.1% 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, Core i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 41.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 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 7.4% more expensive on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and it gives you a 29.1% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 31.9% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 61.8 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 3400G can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019), 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. 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

Ryzen 5 3400G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
1080p
low	192 FPS	215 FPS
medium	152 FPS	186 FPS
high	123 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	180 FPS
medium	119 FPS	149 FPS
high	97 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	71 FPS
medium	70 FPS	62 FPS
high	55 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 3400G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
1080p
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	318 FPS	225 FPS
high	290 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	229 FPS
medium	292 FPS	197 FPS
high	267 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	172 FPS
medium	258 FPS	151 FPS
high	235 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 3400G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
1080p
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	326 FPS	230 FPS
high	326 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	230 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	326 FPS	230 FPS
high	326 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	230 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	326 FPS	230 FPS
high	289 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	230 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 3400G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
1080p
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	326 FPS	230 FPS
high	326 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	230 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	326 FPS	230 FPS
high	326 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	230 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	230 FPS
medium	326 FPS	230 FPS
high	326 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	230 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 3400G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 3400G

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.

Ryzen 5 3400G

The Ryzen 5 3400G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 9,201 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3400G offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3400G — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3400G uses Picasso (2019−2022) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 3400G's 9,201 — a 34.4% lead for the Core i5-10400F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3400G.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+2%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.7 GHz+28%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Picasso (2019−2022)
PassMark	13,029+42%	9,201
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 Ryzen 5 3400G uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
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 (Ryzen 5 3400G). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 3400G
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3400G debuted at $149. On MSRP ($160 vs $149), the Ryzen 5 3400G is $11 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 61.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3400G — making the Core i5-10400F the 27.5% better value option.