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 PRO 230.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 230 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 7,210).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 131.3 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌983.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 6W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 230

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.6% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Delivers 61.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 131.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Draws 6W instead of 65W, a 59W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 PRO 230

2025

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 PRO 230.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.6% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $10 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Delivers 61.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 131.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Draws 6W instead of 65W, a 59W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 230 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 7,210).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 131.3 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌983.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 6W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 230 better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 5 PRO 230 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 36.6% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 24.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 51.2% 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 PRO 230 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 36.6% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 PRO 230 is the better fit. You are getting 24.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 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 PRO 230 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 PRO 230 is $10 cheaper on MSRP at $150 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 36.6% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 61.3% better value on MSRP (131.3 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 230 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP7/FP7r2/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.

Core i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 PRO 230 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
1080p
low	192 FPS	265 FPS
medium	152 FPS	240 FPS
high	123 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	232 FPS
medium	119 FPS	191 FPS
high	97 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	161 FPS
medium	70 FPS	134 FPS
high	55 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 230

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
1080p
low	326 FPS	390 FPS
medium	318 FPS	323 FPS
high	290 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	250 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	328 FPS
medium	292 FPS	282 FPS
high	267 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	220 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	246 FPS
medium	258 FPS	216 FPS
high	235 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	170 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 230

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
1080p
low	326 FPS	493 FPS
medium	326 FPS	493 FPS
high	326 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	493 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	493 FPS
medium	326 FPS	493 FPS
high	326 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	439 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	493 FPS
medium	326 FPS	434 FPS
high	289 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	305 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 230

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
1080p
low	326 FPS	493 FPS
medium	326 FPS	493 FPS
high	326 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	493 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	493 FPS
medium	326 FPS	493 FPS
high	326 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	493 FPS
medium	326 FPS	493 FPS
high	326 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	381 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 230

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 PRO 230

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 PRO 230

The Ryzen 5 PRO 230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) 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. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,702 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 PRO 230 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 PRO 230 — a 13% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 (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 PRO 230 uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 230's 19,702 — a 40.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 230. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 2,320, a 45.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 7,210 (22% advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 230). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 PRO 230.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
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+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	6 MB+2300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
PassMark	13,029	19,702+51%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	2,320+60%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	7,210+25%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (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 PRO 230 — the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 PRO 230 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 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 PRO 230) — the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Socket FP7 (Ryzen 5 PRO 230).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
Socket	LGA1200	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V, AMD-Vi (Ryzen 5 PRO 230). The Ryzen 5 PRO 230 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 760M), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 230
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 760M
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, AMD-Vi
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 debuted at $150. On MSRP ($160 vs $150), the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 131.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 — making the Ryzen 5 PRO 230 the 46.9% better value option.