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 $1,340 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 573.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2686 V3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 10,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅150% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,340 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 573.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 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 Xeon E5-2686 V3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (8,191 vs 10,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2686 V3 better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2686 V3 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 E5-2686 V3 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.2% 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 E5-2686 V3 is the better fit. You are getting 22.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2686 V3 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E5-2686 V3 is 837.5% more expensive on MSRP at $1,500 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 573.1% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 12.1 PassMark/$), 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 2014). 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 E5-2686 V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	192 FPS	177 FPS
medium	152 FPS	154 FPS
high	123 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	148 FPS
medium	119 FPS	125 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	69 FPS
medium	70 FPS	62 FPS
high	55 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	326 FPS	212 FPS
medium	318 FPS	193 FPS
high	290 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	183 FPS
medium	292 FPS	166 FPS
high	267 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	115 FPS
medium	258 FPS	106 FPS
high	235 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	74 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	326 FPS	454 FPS
medium	326 FPS	454 FPS
high	326 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	454 FPS
medium	326 FPS	454 FPS
high	326 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	443 FPS
medium	326 FPS	360 FPS
high	289 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	326 FPS	454 FPS
medium	326 FPS	454 FPS
high	326 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	454 FPS
medium	326 FPS	454 FPS
high	326 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	454 FPS
medium	326 FPS	454 FPS
high	326 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	361 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon E5-2686 V3

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 E5-2686 V3

The Xeon E5-2686 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 18,148 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — a 20.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon E5-2686 V3's 18,148 — a 32.8% lead for the Xeon E5-2686 V3. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,191 vs 10,000 (19.9% advantage for the Xeon E5-2686 V3). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 1,033, a 33.9% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 8,649 (39.7% advantage for the Xeon E5-2686 V3). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	18 / 36+200%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+23%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+45%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	45 MB (total)+275%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	13,029	18,148+39%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	10,000+22%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454+41%	1,033
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	8,649+50%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2686 V3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2686 V3). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2686 V3) — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2686 V3).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	40+150%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2686 V3). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 debuted at $1500. On MSRP ($160 vs $1500), the Core i5-10400F is $1340 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 12.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — making the Core i5-10400F the 148.3% better value option.