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: +22.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $140 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 123.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 36.4 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Ryzen Embedded V2546

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,912 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.4 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen Embedded V2546

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $140 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 123.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 36.4 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,912 vs 13,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.4 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Ryzen Embedded V2546?

Yes. Core i5-10400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 19.4% 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, Core i5-10400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.8% 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, Core i5-10400F is the better fit. You are getting 19.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 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 $140 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 123.9% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 36.4 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 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 Embedded V2546 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
1080p
low	192 FPS	182 FPS
medium	152 FPS	147 FPS
high	123 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	119 FPS	122 FPS
high	97 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	69 FPS
medium	70 FPS	59 FPS
high	55 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V2546

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
1080p
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	318 FPS	244 FPS
high	290 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	168 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	241 FPS
medium	292 FPS	213 FPS
high	267 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	206 FPS
medium	258 FPS	189 FPS
high	235 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	127 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V2546

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
1080p
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	326 FPS	273 FPS
high	326 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	326 FPS	273 FPS
high	326 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	273 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	326 FPS	273 FPS
high	289 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V2546

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
1080p
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	326 FPS	273 FPS
high	326 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	273 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	326 FPS	273 FPS
high	326 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	273 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	273 FPS
medium	326 FPS	273 FPS
high	326 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V2546

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen Embedded V2546

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 Embedded V2546

The Ryzen Embedded V2546 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.95 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 10,912 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Ryzen Embedded V2546 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.95 GHz on the Ryzen Embedded V2546 — a 8.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Embedded V2546 uses Renoir (2020−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen Embedded V2546's 10,912 — a 17.7% lead for the Core i5-10400F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen Embedded V2546.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+9%	3.95 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
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)	Renoir (2020−2023)
PassMark	13,029+19%	10,912
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 Embedded V2546 uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
Socket	LGA1200	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
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 Embedded V2546). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V2546
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 Embedded V2546 debuted at $300. On MSRP ($160 vs $300), the Core i5-10400F is $140 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 36.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen Embedded V2546 — making the Core i5-10400F the 76.5% better value option.