Core i5-10400F vs Xeon E-2246G

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 $151 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $311 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 44.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $311 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 80W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E-2246G.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2246G across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 13,832).

Xeon E-2246G

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($311 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌23.1% higher power demand at 80W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon E-2246G

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $151 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $311 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 44.5 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $311 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 80W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E-2246G.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2246G across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 13,832).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.5 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($311 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌23.1% higher power demand at 80W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2246G better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2246G 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 E-2246G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.1% 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 E-2246G is the better fit. You are getting 6.2% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Xeon E-2246G is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E-2246G is 94.4% more expensive on MSRP at $311 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 83.1% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 44.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core i5-10400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019). 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 E-2246G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
1080p
low	192 FPS	306 FPS
medium	152 FPS	271 FPS
high	123 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	269 FPS
medium	119 FPS	217 FPS
high	97 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	141 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	172 FPS
medium	70 FPS	140 FPS
high	55 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E-2246G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
1080p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	318 FPS	281 FPS
high	290 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	212 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	295 FPS
medium	292 FPS	244 FPS
high	267 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	186 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	246 FPS
medium	258 FPS	206 FPS
high	235 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	152 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E-2246G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
1080p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	289 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	299 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E-2246G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
1080p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	346 FPS
medium	326 FPS	346 FPS
high	326 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	346 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E-2246G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon E-2246G

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 E-2246G

The Xeon E-2246G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 May 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 13,832 points. Launch price was $311.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Xeon E-2246G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon E-2246G — a 11% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2246G (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E-2246G uses Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon E-2246G's 13,832 — a 6% lead for the Xeon E-2246G. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.6 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)
PassMark	13,029	13,832+6%
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 E-2246G uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1151
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 E-2246G). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E-2246G
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 E-2246G debuted at $311. On MSRP ($160 vs $311), the Core i5-10400F is $151 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 44.5 pts/$ for the Xeon E-2246G — making the Core i5-10400F the 58.7% better value option.