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 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 11,203).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.6% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

2021

Why buy it

✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.6% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Core i5-10400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 11,203).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 13.6% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 36.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 29.2% 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 7 PRO 5850U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 13.6% 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 7 PRO 5850U is the better fit. You are getting 36.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 PRO 5850U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.6% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), 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 PRO 5850U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
1080p
low	192 FPS	174 FPS
medium	152 FPS	150 FPS
high	123 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	148 FPS
medium	119 FPS	125 FPS
high	97 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	83 FPS
medium	70 FPS	76 FPS
high	55 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
1080p
low	326 FPS	237 FPS
medium	318 FPS	199 FPS
high	290 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	157 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	207 FPS
medium	292 FPS	181 FPS
high	267 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	148 FPS
medium	258 FPS	133 FPS
high	235 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	110 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
1080p
low	326 FPS	421 FPS
medium	326 FPS	421 FPS
high	326 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	421 FPS
medium	326 FPS	421 FPS
high	326 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	391 FPS
medium	326 FPS	333 FPS
high	289 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
1080p
low	326 FPS	421 FPS
medium	326 FPS	421 FPS
high	326 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	421 FPS
medium	326 FPS	421 FPS
high	326 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	417 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	421 FPS
medium	326 FPS	398 FPS
high	326 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	303 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U

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 PRO 5850U

The Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-U PRO (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 16,830 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U uses Cezanne-U PRO (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U's 16,830 — a 25.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 11,203 (31.1% advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,478, a 1.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+53%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Cezanne-U PRO (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	13,029	16,830+29%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	11,203+37%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	1,478+2%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — 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 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 8 (Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U) — the Core i5-10400F offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Socket FP6 (Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U
Socket	LGA1200	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+300%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+100%	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U). The Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), 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.