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 $339 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 62.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 17,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 62.6 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $339 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 62.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +70.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 17,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 62.6 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 70.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 113.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 139.9% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 70.3% 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 9 PRO 3900 is the better fit. You are getting 113.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is 211.9% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 70.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 30.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 62.6 PassMark/$), 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.

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

Core i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 9 PRO 3900 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	192 FPS	188 FPS
medium	152 FPS	150 FPS
high	123 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	156 FPS
medium	119 FPS	121 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	83 FPS
medium	70 FPS	69 FPS
high	55 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	326 FPS	589 FPS
medium	318 FPS	510 FPS
high	290 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	368 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	506 FPS
medium	292 FPS	446 FPS
high	267 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	317 FPS
medium	258 FPS	283 FPS
high	235 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	326 FPS	781 FPS
medium	326 FPS	690 FPS
high	326 FPS	615 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	664 FPS
medium	326 FPS	540 FPS
high	326 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	419 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	471 FPS
medium	326 FPS	370 FPS
high	289 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	264 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	326 FPS	781 FPS
medium	326 FPS	781 FPS
high	326 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	706 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	781 FPS
medium	326 FPS	710 FPS
high	326 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	538 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	574 FPS
medium	326 FPS	516 FPS
high	326 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	398 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

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 9 PRO 3900

The Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 30 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 31,251 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 uses Zen 2 (2017−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900's 31,251 — a 82.3% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 17,500 (72.5% advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,688, a 14.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 10,000 (53.4% advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.1 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	6 MB+2300%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
PassMark	13,029	31,251+140%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	17,500+114%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	1,688+16%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	10,000+73%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 PRO 3900) — the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and X570,B550,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 PRO 3900).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 PRO 3900). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 targets Professional Content Creation. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 rivals Core i9-10900.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Professional Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 debuted at $499. On MSRP ($160 vs $499), the Core i5-10400F is $339 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 62.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 — making the Core i5-10400F the 26.1% better value option.