Core i5-10400F vs Xeon 6740P

Intel

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Popular choices:

VS
Intel

Xeon 6740P

48 Cores96 Thrd270 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2025

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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 $4,490 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $4,650 MSRP).
  • Delivers 317.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 19.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $4,650 MSRP).
  • Draws 65W instead of 270W, a 205W reduction.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon 6740P.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6740P across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 90,684).
  • Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6740P, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.
  • Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Xeon 6740P moves to LGA4710 and DDR5.

Xeon 6740P

2025

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +45.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 16.
  • Newer platform on LGA4710 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
  • 450% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($4,650 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
  • 315.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 65W.
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6740P better than Core i5-10400F?
Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon 6740P 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, Xeon 6740P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 45.8% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 288 MB vs 12 MB.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6740P is the better fit. You are getting 596% better PassMark, backed by 48 cores and 96 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 2300% larger total L3 cache (288 MB vs 12 MB).
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Xeon 6740P is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon 6740P is 2806.3% more expensive on MSRP at $4,650 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 45.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2020 platform. Even with 317.6% better value on paper (81.4 vs 19.5 PassMark/$), 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?
Xeon 6740P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA4710 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 288 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 48 cores / 96 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
1080p
low192 FPS187 FPS
medium152 FPS165 FPS
high123 FPS131 FPS
ultra100 FPS106 FPS
1440p
low153 FPS155 FPS
medium119 FPS131 FPS
high97 FPS100 FPS
ultra79 FPS82 FPS
4K
low82 FPS70 FPS
medium70 FPS63 FPS
high55 FPS49 FPS
ultra43 FPS40 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
1080p
low326 FPS285 FPS
medium318 FPS252 FPS
high290 FPS208 FPS
ultra253 FPS171 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS233 FPS
medium292 FPS210 FPS
high267 FPS178 FPS
ultra234 FPS142 FPS
4K
low309 FPS144 FPS
medium258 FPS133 FPS
high235 FPS120 FPS
ultra199 FPS100 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
1080p
low326 FPS849 FPS
medium326 FPS768 FPS
high326 FPS730 FPS
ultra326 FPS641 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS737 FPS
medium326 FPS662 FPS
high326 FPS626 FPS
ultra326 FPS558 FPS
4K
low326 FPS493 FPS
medium326 FPS402 FPS
high289 FPS364 FPS
ultra229 FPS303 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
1080p
low326 FPS1097 FPS
medium326 FPS978 FPS
high326 FPS834 FPS
ultra326 FPS702 FPS
1440p
low326 FPS902 FPS
medium326 FPS777 FPS
high326 FPS660 FPS
ultra326 FPS551 FPS
4K
low326 FPS656 FPS
medium326 FPS577 FPS
high326 FPS505 FPS
ultra326 FPS425 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon 6740P

Intel

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.

Intel

Xeon 6740P

The Xeon 6740P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 48 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 288 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 90,684 points. Launch price was $4,650.

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon 6740P offers 48 cores / 96 threads — the Xeon 6740P has 42 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon 6740P — a 12.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon 6740P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon 6740P's 90,684 — a 149.7% lead for the Xeon 6740P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 288 MB (total) on the Xeon 6740P.

FeatureCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
48 / 96+700%
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz+13%
3.8 GHz
Base Clock
2.9 GHz+38%
2.1 GHz
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)
288 MB (total)+2300%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
2 MB (per core)+700%
Process
14 nm
Intel 3 nm-79%
Architecture
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark
13,029
90,684+596%
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 Xeon 6740P uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR5-6400 on the Xeon 6740P — the Xeon 6740P supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 4 TB 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 8 (Xeon 6740P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 88 (Xeon 6740P) — the Xeon 6740P offers 72 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

FeatureCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
Socket
LGA1200
LGA4710
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
DDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
4 TB+3100%
RAM Channels
2
8+300%
ECC Support
No
Yes
PCIe Lanes
16
88+450%
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT (Xeon 6740P). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Xeon 6740P targets High-density Compute. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Xeon 6740P rivals EPYC 9355P.

FeatureCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
Integrated GPU
No
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT
Target Use
Gaming
High-density Compute
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Xeon 6740P debuted at $4650. On MSRP ($160 vs $4650), the Core i5-10400F is $4490 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 19.5 pts/$ for the Xeon 6740P — making the Core i5-10400F the 122.7% better value option.

FeatureCore i5-10400FXeon 6740P
MSRP
$160-97%
$4650
Performance per Dollar
81.4+317%
19.5
Release Date
2020
2025