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 PRO 8500GE.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 21,544).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.7% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

2024

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.7% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 21,544).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 39.7% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 65.4% 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 PRO 8500GE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 39.7% more average FPS across 6 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 8500GE is the better fit. You are getting 65.4% 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 PRO 8500GE is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 39.7% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. 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, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE 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 PRO 8500GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
1080p
low	192 FPS	267 FPS
medium	152 FPS	238 FPS
high	123 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	230 FPS
medium	119 FPS	186 FPS
high	97 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	159 FPS
medium	70 FPS	129 FPS
high	55 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
1080p
low	326 FPS	455 FPS
medium	318 FPS	371 FPS
high	290 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	394 FPS
medium	292 FPS	338 FPS
high	267 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	287 FPS
medium	258 FPS	251 FPS
high	235 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
1080p
low	326 FPS	539 FPS
medium	326 FPS	539 FPS
high	326 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	539 FPS
medium	326 FPS	539 FPS
high	326 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	440 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	497 FPS
medium	326 FPS	417 FPS
high	289 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	293 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
1080p
low	326 FPS	539 FPS
medium	326 FPS	539 FPS
high	326 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	539 FPS
medium	326 FPS	539 FPS
high	326 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	539 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	539 FPS
medium	326 FPS	519 FPS
high	326 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

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 8500GE

The Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 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): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,544 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE 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 PRO 8500GE — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE's 21,544 — a 49.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.4 GHz+17%
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)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	13,029	21,544+65%
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 PRO 8500GE uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
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 PRO 8500GE). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.