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 $6,681 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $6,841 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2477.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 3.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $6,841 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E7-8891 v3.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E7-8891 v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 9,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E7-8891 v3, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E7-8891 v3

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.9% 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: 10 cores / 20 threads, plus 32 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (32 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 3.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($6,841 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon E7-8891 v3

2015

Why buy it

✅Costs $6,681 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $6,841 MSRP).
✅Delivers 2477.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 3.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $6,841 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E7-8891 v3.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.9% 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: 10 cores / 20 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 E7-8891 v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 9,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E7-8891 v3, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 3.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($6,841 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E7-8891 v3 better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E7-8891 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 E7-8891 v3 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 26.9% 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 E7-8891 v3 is the better fit. You are getting 64.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 20 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 E7-8891 v3 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E7-8891 v3 is 4175.6% more expensive on MSRP at $6,841 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 26.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 2477.2% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 3.2 PassMark/$), 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 2015). 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 E7-8891 v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 v3
1080p
low	192 FPS	179 FPS
medium	152 FPS	151 FPS
high	123 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	155 FPS
medium	119 FPS	127 FPS
high	97 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	72 FPS
medium	70 FPS	63 FPS
high	55 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E7-8891 v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 v3
1080p
low	326 FPS	370 FPS
medium	318 FPS	335 FPS
high	290 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	223 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	318 FPS
medium	292 FPS	291 FPS
high	267 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	199 FPS
medium	258 FPS	184 FPS
high	235 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	124 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E7-8891 v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 v3
1080p
low	326 FPS	540 FPS
medium	326 FPS	540 FPS
high	326 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	540 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	540 FPS
medium	326 FPS	540 FPS
high	326 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	540 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	477 FPS
medium	326 FPS	391 FPS
high	289 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	299 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E7-8891 v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 v3
1080p
low	326 FPS	540 FPS
medium	326 FPS	540 FPS
high	326 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	540 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	540 FPS
medium	326 FPS	540 FPS
high	326 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	540 FPS
medium	326 FPS	483 FPS
high	326 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	358 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon E7-8891 v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon E7-8891 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 E7-8891 v3

The Xeon E7-8891 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EX (2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 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. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333/1600/1866, DDR3-1066/1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 21,615 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E7-8891 v3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E7-8891 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E7-8891 v3 — a 20.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E7-8891 v3 uses Haswell-EX (2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon E7-8891 v3's 21,615 — a 49.6% lead for the Xeon E7-8891 v3. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 900, a 47.1% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 9,500 (48.6% advantage for the Xeon E7-8891 v3). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E7-8891 v3.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 v3
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+23%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+4%	2.8 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-EX (2015)
PassMark	13,029	21,615+66%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454+62%	900
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	9,500+64%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E7-8891 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon E7-8891 v3 supports up to 1536 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Xeon E7-8891 v3). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 32 (Xeon E7-8891 v3) — the Xeon E7-8891 v3 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and C602J (Xeon E7-8891 v3).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 v3
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-1866
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	1536 GB+1100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	32+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) vs Yes (Xeon E7-8891 v3). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon E7-8891 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 E7-8891 v3 debuted at $6841. On MSRP ($160 vs $6841), the Core i5-10400F is $6681 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 3.2 pts/$ for the Xeon E7-8891 v3 — making the Core i5-10400F the 185.1% better value option.