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 $1,180 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 42.4 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,340 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 350W, a 285W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 56,854).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX moves to sTR5 and DDR5.

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +84.4% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on sTR5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.4 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,340 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌438.5% higher power demand at 350W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,180 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 91.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 42.4 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,340 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 350W, a 285W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +84.4% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on sTR5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 56,854).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX moves to sTR5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.4 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,340 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌438.5% higher power demand at 350W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-10400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 84.4% 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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX is the better fit. You are getting 336.4% 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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX is 737.5% more expensive on MSRP at $1,340 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 84.4% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2020 platform. Even with 91.9% better value on paper (81.4 vs 42.4 PassMark/$), 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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with sTR5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
1080p
low	192 FPS	278 FPS
medium	152 FPS	253 FPS
high	123 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	188 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	262 FPS
medium	119 FPS	214 FPS
high	97 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	180 FPS
medium	70 FPS	147 FPS
high	55 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	98 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
1080p
low	326 FPS	791 FPS
medium	318 FPS	650 FPS
high	290 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	409 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	651 FPS
medium	292 FPS	555 FPS
high	267 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	333 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	366 FPS
medium	258 FPS	315 FPS
high	235 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	233 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
1080p
low	326 FPS	886 FPS
medium	326 FPS	704 FPS
high	326 FPS	622 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	534 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	712 FPS
medium	326 FPS	566 FPS
high	326 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	414 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	507 FPS
medium	326 FPS	418 FPS
high	289 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	315 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
1080p
low	326 FPS	1106 FPS
medium	326 FPS	991 FPS
high	326 FPS	867 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	781 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	860 FPS
medium	326 FPS	759 FPS
high	326 FPS	664 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	632 FPS
medium	326 FPS	562 FPS
high	326 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	429 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX

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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX

The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2025-01-01. It is based on the Shimada Peak (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: sTR5. Thermal design power (TDP): 350 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 56,854 points. Launch price was $2,000.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX — a 22.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (base: 2.9 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX uses Shimada Peak (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX's 56,854 — a 125.4% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5.4 GHz+26%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	4.7 GHz+62%
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)	Shimada Peak (2025)
PassMark	13,029	56,854+336%
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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX uses sTR5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 6400 on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 8 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 128 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and WRX90,TRX50 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
Socket	LGA1200	sTR5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	6400+159900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+6553500%	2048
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX 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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX rivals Xeon w7-3545.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
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 Threadripper PRO 9945WX debuted at $1340. On MSRP ($160 vs $1340), the Core i5-10400F is $1180 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 42.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX — making the Core i5-10400F the 63% better value option.