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: +5.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,563 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,723 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1031.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 7.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,723 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-1680 v2.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 8,579).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-1680 v2, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-1680 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅+4.7% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅150% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,723 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon E5-1680 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,563 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,723 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1031.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 7.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,723 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-1680 v2.

Why buy it

✅+4.7% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅150% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 8,579).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-1680 v2, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,723 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10400F better than Xeon E5-1680 v2?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-1680 v2 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 E5-1680 v2 is the better fit. You are getting 4.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i5-10400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-10400F is $1,563 cheaper on MSRP at $160 MSRP versus $1,723 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-1680 v2 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 4.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 1031.9% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 7.2 PassMark/$), 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 2013). 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 E5-1680 v2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
1080p
low	192 FPS	167 FPS
medium	152 FPS	145 FPS
high	123 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	140 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	97 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	64 FPS
medium	70 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-1680 v2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
1080p
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	318 FPS	310 FPS
high	290 FPS	297 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	254 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	292 FPS	302 FPS
high	267 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	220 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	217 FPS
medium	258 FPS	196 FPS
high	235 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	147 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-1680 v2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
1080p
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	326 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	326 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	289 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-1680 v2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
1080p
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	326 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	326 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	310 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	326 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-1680 v2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon E5-1680 v2

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 E5-1680 v2

The Xeon E5-1680 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600, DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 12,396 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-1680 v2 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-1680 v2 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-1680 v2 — a 9.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-1680 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon E5-1680 v2's 12,396 — a 5% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 8,579 (4.6% advantage for the Xeon E5-1680 v2). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 750, a 63.9% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 4,500 (25% advantage for the Core i5-10400F). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1680 v2.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+10%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+108%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)
PassMark	13,029+5%	12,396
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	8,579+5%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454+94%	750
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783+29%	4,500

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-1680 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR3-1866 on the Xeon E5-1680 v2 — the Core i5-10400F supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-1680 v2 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Xeon E5-1680 v2). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 40 (Xeon E5-1680 v2) — the Xeon E5-1680 v2 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and C602,X79 (Xeon E5-1680 v2).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666+33%	DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	40+150%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Xeon E5-1680 v2 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon E5-1680 v2). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Xeon E5-1680 v2 targets Server/Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Xeon E5-1680 v2 rivals Core i7-4960X.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-1680 v2
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming	Server/Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-1680 v2 debuted at $1723. On MSRP ($160 vs $1723), the Core i5-10400F is $1563 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 7.2 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-1680 v2 — making the Core i5-10400F the 167.5% better value option.