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 $440 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Delivers 13.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 72.0 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI Max PRO 390.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 43,174).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 moves to FP11 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +90.2% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 72.0 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($600 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $440 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Delivers 13.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 72.0 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $600 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI Max PRO 390.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +90.2% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 43,174).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 moves to FP11 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 72.0 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($600 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 90.2% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 231.4% 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 AI Max PRO 390 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 90.2% 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 AI Max PRO 390 is the better fit. You are getting 231.4% better PassMark, 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 AI Max PRO 390 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 is 275.0% more expensive on MSRP at $600 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 90.2% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2020 platform. Even with 13.2% better value on paper (81.4 vs 72.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1200.

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

Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP11 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 AI Max PRO 390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
1080p
low	192 FPS	286 FPS
medium	152 FPS	253 FPS
high	123 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	185 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	266 FPS
medium	119 FPS	211 FPS
high	97 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	184 FPS
medium	70 FPS	147 FPS
high	55 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	97 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
1080p
low	326 FPS	778 FPS
medium	318 FPS	656 FPS
high	290 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	654 FPS
medium	292 FPS	572 FPS
high	267 FPS	463 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	368 FPS
medium	258 FPS	326 FPS
high	235 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	264 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
1080p
low	326 FPS	1021 FPS
medium	326 FPS	783 FPS
high	326 FPS	685 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	580 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	818 FPS
medium	326 FPS	635 FPS
high	326 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	469 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	565 FPS
medium	326 FPS	460 FPS
high	289 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
1080p
low	326 FPS	1079 FPS
medium	326 FPS	1015 FPS
high	326 FPS	912 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	811 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	895 FPS
medium	326 FPS	788 FPS
high	326 FPS	689 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	605 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	658 FPS
medium	326 FPS	582 FPS
high	326 FPS	514 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen AI Max PRO 390

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 Max PRO 390

The Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 43,174 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390's 43,174 — a 107.3% lead for the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Strix Halo (2025)
PassMark	13,029	43,174+231%
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 Max PRO 390 uses FP11 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 8000 on the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 — the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Ryzen AI Max PRO 390). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 28 (Ryzen AI Max PRO 390) — the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max PRO 390).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
Socket	LGA1200	FP11
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	8000+199900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max PRO 390). The Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 8050S), 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; Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 rivals Apple M4 Max.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon 8050S
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 debuted at $600. On MSRP ($160 vs $600), the Core i5-10400F is $440 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 72.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen AI Max PRO 390 — making the Core i5-10400F the 12.4% better value option.