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).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 8600G.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8600G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 25,248).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 110.3 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8600G moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 8600G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 35.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 110.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
43.1% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 8600G

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $69 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 8600G.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 35.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 110.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8600G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 25,248).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 110.3 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8600G moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
43.1% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$160 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8600G better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 5 8600G is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 70.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 93.8% 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 8600G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 70.2% 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 8600G is the better fit. You are getting 93.8% 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 8600G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 8600G is 43.1% more expensive on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 70.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 35.4% better value on MSRP (110.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), 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 8600G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020), a healthier platform with AM5 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 8600G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
1080p
low	192 FPS	265 FPS
medium	152 FPS	239 FPS
high	123 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	232 FPS
medium	119 FPS	190 FPS
high	97 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	158 FPS
medium	70 FPS	130 FPS
high	55 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 8600G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
1080p
low	326 FPS	426 FPS
medium	318 FPS	358 FPS
high	290 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	275 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	292 FPS	325 FPS
high	267 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	244 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	268 FPS
medium	258 FPS	240 FPS
high	235 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	187 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 8600G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
1080p
low	326 FPS	631 FPS
medium	326 FPS	631 FPS
high	326 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	631 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	631 FPS
medium	326 FPS	603 FPS
high	326 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	492 FPS
medium	326 FPS	431 FPS
high	289 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 8600G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
1080p
low	326 FPS	631 FPS
medium	326 FPS	631 FPS
high	326 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	631 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	631 FPS
medium	326 FPS	631 FPS
high	326 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	601 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	610 FPS
medium	326 FPS	548 FPS
high	326 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 8600G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 8600G

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 8600G

The Ryzen 5 8600G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 25,248 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 8600G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8600G — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8600G (base: 2.9 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8600G uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 8600G's 25,248 — a 63.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 8600G. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8600G.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	4.3 GHz+48%
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 (2023−2024)
PassMark	13,029	25,248+94%
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 8600G uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
Socket	LGA1200	AM5
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 8600G). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 8600G
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 8600G 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 110.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8600G — making the Ryzen 5 8600G the 30.1% better value option.