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: +5.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $140 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 49.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon D-1733NT.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 14,849).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 15 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-1733NT, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌22.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 53W.

Xeon D-1733NT

2022

Why buy it

✅+14% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (15 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.
✅Draws 53W instead of 65W, a 12W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 49.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon D-1733NT

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $140 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 49.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon D-1733NT.

Why buy it

✅+14% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (15 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.
✅Draws 53W instead of 65W, a 12W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 14,849).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 15 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-1733NT, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌22.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 53W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 49.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon D-1733NT better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon D-1733NT 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-1733NT is the better fit. You are getting 14% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (15 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon D-1733NT is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon D-1733NT is 87.5% more expensive on MSRP at $300 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you 14% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-10400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 64.5% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 49.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon D-1733NT is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), 25% larger total L3 cache (15 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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

Xeon D-1733NT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
1080p
low	192 FPS	177 FPS
medium	152 FPS	144 FPS
high	123 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	143 FPS
medium	119 FPS	114 FPS
high	97 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	68 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1733NT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
1080p
low	326 FPS	159 FPS
medium	318 FPS	139 FPS
high	290 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	139 FPS
medium	292 FPS	126 FPS
high	267 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	101 FPS
medium	258 FPS	94 FPS
high	235 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	65 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1733NT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
1080p
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	326 FPS	371 FPS
high	326 FPS	371 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	371 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	326 FPS	371 FPS
high	326 FPS	371 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	326 FPS	322 FPS
high	289 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1733NT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
1080p
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	326 FPS	371 FPS
high	326 FPS	371 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	371 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	326 FPS	371 FPS
high	326 FPS	371 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	371 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	371 FPS
medium	326 FPS	371 FPS
high	326 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	309 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-1733NT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon D-1733NT

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-1733NT

The Xeon D-1733NT is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB. Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2227. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,849 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon D-1733NT offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon D-1733NT has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.1 GHz on the Xeon D-1733NT — a 32.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F is built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon D-1733NT's 14,849 — a 13.1% lead for the Xeon D-1733NT. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 15 MB on the Xeon D-1733NT.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+39%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+45%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	15 MB+25%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	—
PassMark	13,029	14,849+14%
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-1733NT uses FCBGA2227 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA2227
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 (Xeon D-1733NT). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-1733NT
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-1733NT 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 49.5 pts/$ for the Xeon D-1733NT — making the Core i5-10400F the 48.8% better value option.