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

✅Costs $69 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X3D.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X3D across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 11,065).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 95.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 17.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 95.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
43.1% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 5600X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $69 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X3D.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 17.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 95.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X3D across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 11,065).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 95.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
43.1% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X3D better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 27.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 35.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 67.8% higher 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, Ryzen 5 5600X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 27.8% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 96 MB vs 12 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X3D is the better fit. You are getting 35.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X3D is 43.1% more expensive on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 27.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 17.3% better value on MSRP (95.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), 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 LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-10400F 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?

Ryzen 5 5600X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 5600X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
1080p
low	192 FPS	159 FPS
medium	152 FPS	130 FPS
high	123 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	145 FPS
medium	119 FPS	117 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	70 FPS	71 FPS
high	55 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 5600X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
1080p
low	326 FPS	482 FPS
medium	318 FPS	411 FPS
high	290 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	268 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	408 FPS
medium	292 FPS	350 FPS
high	267 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	271 FPS
medium	258 FPS	238 FPS
high	235 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	173 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 5600X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
1080p
low	326 FPS	547 FPS
medium	326 FPS	511 FPS
high	326 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	408 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	525 FPS
medium	326 FPS	424 FPS
high	326 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	334 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	357 FPS
medium	326 FPS	289 FPS
high	289 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 5600X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
1080p
low	326 FPS	547 FPS
medium	326 FPS	547 FPS
high	326 FPS	547 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	547 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	547 FPS
medium	326 FPS	547 FPS
high	326 FPS	547 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	501 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	528 FPS
medium	326 FPS	473 FPS
high	326 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	363 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 5600X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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 5600X3D

The Ryzen 5 5600X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,865 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 5600X3D share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X3D — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X3D (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X3D uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 5600X3D's 21,865 — a 50.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X3D. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 11,065 (29.9% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X3D). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 2,087, a 35.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 1,985 (97.8% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600X3D.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.3 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	13,029	21,865+68%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	11,065+35%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	2,087+44%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783+191%	1,985

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X3D uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Ryzen 5 5600X3D) — the Ryzen 5 5600X3D offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and A520,B450,B550,X470,X570 (Ryzen 5 5600X3D).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs Yes (Ryzen 5 5600X3D). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 5600X3D
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X3D debuted at $229. On MSRP ($160 vs $229), the Core i5-10400F is $69 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 95.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X3D — making the Ryzen 5 5600X3D the 15.9% better value option.