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: +3.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB).
✅Costs $240 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 32.9 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 13,173).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-1581, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.

Xeon D-1581

2016

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (1.5 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 32.9 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon D-1581

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB).
✅Costs $240 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 32.9 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 13,173).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-1581, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (1.5 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 32.9 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Xeon D-1581?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon D-1581 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 streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-1581 is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is $240 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon D-1581 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.1% better PassMark. It is also 147.3% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 32.9 PassMark/$), 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 a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2016) and 700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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

Xeon D-1581 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
1080p
low	192 FPS	162 FPS
medium	152 FPS	140 FPS
high	123 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	134 FPS
medium	119 FPS	114 FPS
high	97 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	63 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1581

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
1080p
low	326 FPS	126 FPS
medium	318 FPS	114 FPS
high	290 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	110 FPS
medium	292 FPS	100 FPS
high	267 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	86 FPS
medium	258 FPS	81 FPS
high	235 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	55 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1581

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
1080p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	289 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1581

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
1080p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	329 FPS
medium	326 FPS	329 FPS
high	326 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1581

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon D-1581

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.

Xeon D-1581

The Xeon D-1581 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1667. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 13,173 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon D-1581 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon D-1581 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 2.4 GHz on the Xeon D-1581 — a 56.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon D-1581 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon D-1581's 13,173 — a 1.1% lead for the Xeon D-1581. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 1.5 MB (per core) on the Xeon D-1581.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+79%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+61%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+700%	1.5 MB (per core)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	13,029	13,173+1%
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 D-1581 uses FCBGA1667 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1667
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 (Xeon D-1581). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1581
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 Xeon D-1581 debuted at $400. On MSRP ($160 vs $400), the Core i5-10400F is $240 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 32.9 pts/$ for the Xeon D-1581 — making the Core i5-10400F the 84.8% better value option.