Core i5-10400F vs Ryzen 7 5700U

CPU

GPU

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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Ryzen 7 5700U

8 Cores16 Thrd15 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2021

Popular choices:

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Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-10400F

6 / 12

13,029

0.0%

15,511

+19.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX

Ryzen 9 8940HX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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

✅Better for gaming: +8.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 5700U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 8,600).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 5700U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 5700U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 5700U

2021

Why buy it

✅+5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8 CUs), while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 7 5700U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 5700U.

Why buy it

✅+5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8 CUs), while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 8,600).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 5700U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 5700U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5700U better than Core i5-10400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-10400F is ahead with a 8.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5700U pulls ahead with 5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i5-10400F also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5700U is the better fit. You are getting 5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 5700U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 5700U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you 5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The trade-off is that Core i5-10400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 5700U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 7 5700U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 5700U
1080p
low	192 FPS	179 FPS
medium	152 FPS	147 FPS
high	123 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	119 FPS	123 FPS
high	97 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	82 FPS
medium	70 FPS	72 FPS
high	55 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 5700U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 5700U
1080p
low	326 FPS	212 FPS
medium	318 FPS	179 FPS
high	290 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	144 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	185 FPS
medium	292 FPS	160 FPS
high	267 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	150 FPS
medium	258 FPS	135 FPS
high	235 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	111 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 5700U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 5700U
1080p
low	326 FPS	388 FPS
medium	326 FPS	388 FPS
high	326 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	388 FPS
medium	326 FPS	388 FPS
high	326 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	388 FPS
medium	326 FPS	388 FPS
high	289 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	279 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 5700U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 5700U
1080p
low	326 FPS	388 FPS
medium	326 FPS	388 FPS
high	326 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	388 FPS
medium	326 FPS	388 FPS
high	326 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	388 FPS
medium	326 FPS	388 FPS
high	326 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 5700U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 7 5700U

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 7 5700U

The Ryzen 7 5700U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,511 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5700U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5700U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700U — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5700U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 7 5700U's 15,511 — a 17.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 8,600 (4.9% advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,200, a 19.1% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 6,000 (3.7% advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700U). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700U.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 5700U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+61%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	13,029	15,511+19%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	8,600+5%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454+21%	1,200
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	6,000+4%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 5700U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. 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 12 (Ryzen 7 5700U) — the Core i5-10400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and SoC (Ryzen 7 5700U).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 5700U
Socket	LGA1200	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	LPDDR4x-4267
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+33%	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700U). The Ryzen 7 5700U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (8 CUs)), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 7 5700U targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.