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: +5.0% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $340 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 193.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 27.7 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen Embedded V3C18I.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 13,856).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen Embedded V3C18I moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

2022

Why buy it

✅+6.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 27.7 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($500 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.0% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $340 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 193.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 27.7 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen Embedded V3C18I.

Why buy it

✅+6.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 13,856).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen Embedded V3C18I moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 27.7 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($500 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Embedded V3C18I better than Core i5-10400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-10400F is ahead with a 5.0% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Embedded V3C18I pulls ahead with 6.3% better PassMark. Ryzen Embedded V3C18I also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Embedded V3C18I is the better fit. You are getting 6.3% better PassMark, 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 Embedded V3C18I is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen Embedded V3C18I is 212.5% more expensive on MSRP at $500 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you 6.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-10400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.0% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 193.8% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 27.7 PassMark/$), 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 Embedded V3C18I is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 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 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 Embedded V3C18I Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	192 FPS	172 FPS
medium	152 FPS	138 FPS
high	123 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	142 FPS
medium	119 FPS	112 FPS
high	97 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	66 FPS
medium	70 FPS	55 FPS
high	55 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	326 FPS	173 FPS
medium	318 FPS	151 FPS
high	290 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	149 FPS
medium	292 FPS	134 FPS
high	267 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	98 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	108 FPS
medium	258 FPS	100 FPS
high	235 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	74 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	317 FPS
high	289 FPS	280 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	225 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
1080p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	326 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen Embedded V3C18I

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 V3C18I

The Ryzen Embedded V3C18I is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 13,856 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I — a 12.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I uses Rembrandt (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I's 13,856 — a 6.2% lead for the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+13%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+53%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Rembrandt (2022)
PassMark	13,029	13,856+6%
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 V3C18I uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
Socket	LGA1200	FP7
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 Embedded V3C18I). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
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 V3C18I debuted at $500. On MSRP ($160 vs $500), the Core i5-10400F is $340 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 27.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen Embedded V3C18I — making the Core i5-10400F the 98.4% better value option.