Core i5-10400F vs Ryzen 5 7640U

Intel

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 7640U

6 Cores12 Thrd15 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2023

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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 Ryzen 5 7640U.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7640U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 20,856).
  • Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
  • Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7640U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 7640U

2023

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +44.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
  • Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
  • Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7640U better than Core i5-10400F?
Yes. Ryzen 5 7640U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 44.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 60.1% 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 7640U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 44.2% 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 7640U is the better fit. You are getting 60.1% 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 7640U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 7640U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 44.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7640U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP8 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
1080p
low192 FPS261 FPS
medium152 FPS237 FPS
high123 FPS199 FPS
ultra100 FPS171 FPS
1440p
low153 FPS230 FPS
medium119 FPS190 FPS
high97 FPS155 FPS
ultra79 FPS137 FPS
4K
low82 FPS159 FPS
medium70 FPS133 FPS
high55 FPS103 FPS
ultra43 FPS91 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
1080p
low326 FPS371 FPS
medium318 FPS309 FPS
high290 FPS272 FPS
ultra253 FPS236 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS313 FPS
medium292 FPS270 FPS
high267 FPS244 FPS
ultra234 FPS207 FPS
4K
low309 FPS234 FPS
medium258 FPS206 FPS
high235 FPS191 FPS
ultra199 FPS161 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
1080p
low326 FPS521 FPS
medium326 FPS521 FPS
high326 FPS521 FPS
ultra326 FPS521 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS521 FPS
medium326 FPS521 FPS
high326 FPS512 FPS
ultra326 FPS443 FPS
4K
low326 FPS493 FPS
medium326 FPS435 FPS
high289 FPS372 FPS
ultra229 FPS308 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
1080p
low326 FPS521 FPS
medium326 FPS521 FPS
high326 FPS521 FPS
ultra326 FPS521 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS521 FPS
medium326 FPS521 FPS
high326 FPS521 FPS
ultra326 FPS521 FPS
4K
low326 FPS521 FPS
medium326 FPS501 FPS
high326 FPS442 FPS
ultra326 FPS380 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 7640U

Intel

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.

AMD

Ryzen 5 7640U

The Ryzen 5 7640U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 May 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 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: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 20,856 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 7640U 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 7640U — a 13% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7640U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7640U uses Phoenix-U (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 7640U's 20,856 — a 46.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 7640U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7640U.

FeatureCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
6 / 12
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.9 GHz+14%
Base Clock
2.9 GHz
3.5 GHz+21%
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-U (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark
13,029
20,856+60%
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 Ryzen 5 7640U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
Socket
LGA1200
FP8
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
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Ryzen 5 7640U). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

FeatureCore i5-10400FRyzen 5 7640U
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Gaming