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

✅Draws 65W instead of 129W, a 64W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon D-2799.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon D-2799 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 20,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-2799, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Xeon D-2799 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon D-2799

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 32 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (32 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌98.5% higher power demand at 129W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon D-2799

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 129W, a 64W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon D-2799.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 32 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (32 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon D-2799 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 20,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-2799, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Xeon D-2799 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌98.5% higher power demand at 129W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon D-2799 better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon D-2799 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 D-2799 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2799 is the better fit. You are getting 144.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon D-2799 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon D-2799 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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-2799 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), 150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 40 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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-2799 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-2799
1080p
low	192 FPS	184 FPS
medium	152 FPS	154 FPS
high	123 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	147 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	97 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	70 FPS
medium	70 FPS	59 FPS
high	55 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-2799

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-2799
1080p
low	326 FPS	364 FPS
medium	318 FPS	316 FPS
high	290 FPS	262 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	313 FPS
medium	292 FPS	281 FPS
high	267 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	190 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	202 FPS
medium	258 FPS	183 FPS
high	235 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	124 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-2799

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-2799
1080p
low	326 FPS	721 FPS
medium	326 FPS	581 FPS
high	326 FPS	504 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	441 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	587 FPS
medium	326 FPS	478 FPS
high	326 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	429 FPS
medium	326 FPS	333 FPS
high	289 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-2799

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-2799
1080p
low	326 FPS	845 FPS
medium	326 FPS	785 FPS
high	326 FPS	680 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	682 FPS
medium	326 FPS	596 FPS
high	326 FPS	513 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	466 FPS
medium	326 FPS	418 FPS
high	326 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	326 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon D-2799

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon D-2799

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-2799

The Xeon D-2799 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Ice Lake-D (2022−2023) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2579. Thermal design power (TDP): 129 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 33,792 points. Launch price was $1,972.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon D-2799 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon D-2799 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon D-2799 — a 23.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon D-2799 uses Ice Lake-D (2022−2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon D-2799's 33,792 — a 88.7% lead for the Xeon D-2799. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 20,000 (83.8% advantage for the Xeon D-2799). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,959, a 29.6% lead for the Xeon D-2799 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 1,895 (101.3% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 30 MB (total) on the Xeon D-2799.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-2799
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	20 / 40+233%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+26%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+21%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Ice Lake-D (2022−2023)
PassMark	13,029	33,792+159%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	20,000+144%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	1,959+35%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783+205%	1,895

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon D-2799 uses FCBGA2579 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon D-2799 supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Xeon D-2799). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 32 (Xeon D-2799) — the Xeon D-2799 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Ice Lake-D (Xeon D-2799).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon D-2799
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA2579
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	1024 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	32+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon D-2799 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, EPT (Xeon D-2799). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Xeon D-2799 targets Edge Server / Networking. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Xeon D-2799 rivals EPYC 7302.