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

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7545U.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7545U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 20,185).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7545U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Ryzen 5 7545U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +42.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 7545U

2023

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7545U.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +42.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7545U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 20,185).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7545U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7545U better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7545U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 42.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 54.9% 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, Ryzen 5 7545U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 42.3% 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, Ryzen 5 7545U is the better fit. You are getting 54.9% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 7545U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 7545U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 42.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 7545U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 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

Ryzen 5 7545U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 7545U
1080p
low	192 FPS	265 FPS
medium	152 FPS	237 FPS
high	123 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	232 FPS
medium	119 FPS	187 FPS
high	97 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	163 FPS
medium	70 FPS	133 FPS
high	55 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 7545U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 7545U
1080p
low	326 FPS	434 FPS
medium	318 FPS	341 FPS
high	290 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	250 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	362 FPS
medium	292 FPS	297 FPS
high	267 FPS	262 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	219 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	272 FPS
medium	258 FPS	227 FPS
high	235 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 7545U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 7545U
1080p
low	326 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	505 FPS
high	326 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	505 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	505 FPS
high	326 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	445 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	503 FPS
medium	326 FPS	438 FPS
high	289 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	309 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 7545U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 7545U
1080p
low	326 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	505 FPS
high	326 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	505 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	505 FPS
high	326 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	505 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	489 FPS
high	326 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	370 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 7545U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 7545U

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 7545U

The Ryzen 5 7545U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 November 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (Zen4) (2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,185 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 7545U share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7545U — a 13% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7545U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7545U uses Phoenix (Zen4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 7545U's 20,185 — a 43.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 7545U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7545U.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 7545U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.9 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Phoenix (Zen4) (2023)
PassMark	13,029	20,185+55%
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 7545U uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 5 7545U — the Ryzen 5 7545U supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Ryzen 5 7545U) — the Ryzen 5 7545U offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 7545U
Socket	LGA1200	FP7
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Ryzen 5 7545U supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7545U). The Ryzen 5 7545U includes integrated graphics (Radeon 740M), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 5 7545U targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.