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: +19.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 122.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 36.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,794 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.6 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 122.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 36.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,794 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.6 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Ryzen AI 5 330?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 19.1% 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, Core i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 1.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is $190 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $350 MSRP, and it gives you a 19.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 122.8% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 36.6 PassMark/$), 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 AI 5 330 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. 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 AI 5 330 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	192 FPS	169 FPS
medium	152 FPS	136 FPS
high	123 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	142 FPS
medium	119 FPS	113 FPS
high	97 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	79 FPS
medium	70 FPS	67 FPS
high	55 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	42 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	326 FPS	168 FPS
medium	318 FPS	142 FPS
high	290 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	142 FPS
medium	292 FPS	122 FPS
high	267 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	97 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	101 FPS
medium	258 FPS	90 FPS
high	235 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	65 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	326 FPS	320 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	326 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	320 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	320 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	326 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	320 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	289 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI 5 330

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	326 FPS	320 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	326 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	320 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	320 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	326 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	320 FPS
medium	326 FPS	320 FPS
high	326 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	320 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen AI 5 330

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 AI 5 330

The Ryzen AI 5 330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Krackan Point 2 (2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5, LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 12,794 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI 5 330 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen AI 5 330 — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI 5 330 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 uses Krackan Point 2 (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen AI 5 330's 12,794 — a 1.8% lead for the Core i5-10400F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 4 MB on the Ryzen AI 5 330.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+45%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Krackan Point 2 (2025)
PassMark	13,029+2%	12,794
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 AI 5 330 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
Socket	LGA1200	FP8
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 AI 5 330). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI 5 330
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 5 330 debuted at $350. On MSRP ($160 vs $350), the Core i5-10400F is $190 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 36.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen AI 5 330 — making the Core i5-10400F the 76.1% better value option.