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 $1,126 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Delivers 519.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 5117.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5117 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 16,897).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5117, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅200% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,286 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,126 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Delivers 519.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 5117.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅200% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5117 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 16,897).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5117, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,286 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5117 better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 5117 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 Gold 5117 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.0% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5117 is the better fit. You are getting 29.7% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 28 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 5117 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 5117 is 703.8% more expensive on MSRP at $1,286 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 519.8% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$), 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 2017). 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 Gold 5117 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	192 FPS	175 FPS
medium	152 FPS	140 FPS
high	123 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	139 FPS
medium	119 FPS	109 FPS
high	97 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	66 FPS
medium	70 FPS	55 FPS
high	55 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	326 FPS	189 FPS
medium	318 FPS	168 FPS
high	290 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	163 FPS
medium	292 FPS	149 FPS
high	267 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	106 FPS
medium	258 FPS	97 FPS
high	235 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	68 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	326 FPS	422 FPS
medium	326 FPS	422 FPS
high	326 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	406 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	422 FPS
medium	326 FPS	422 FPS
high	326 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	335 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	401 FPS
medium	326 FPS	310 FPS
high	289 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	326 FPS	422 FPS
medium	326 FPS	422 FPS
high	326 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	422 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	422 FPS
medium	326 FPS	422 FPS
high	326 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	415 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	422 FPS
medium	326 FPS	401 FPS
high	326 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon Gold 5117

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 Gold 5117

The Xeon Gold 5117 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB. L2 cache: 14 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 16,897 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon Gold 5117 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5117 — a 42.3% 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 Gold 5117 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon Gold 5117's 16,897 — a 25.9% lead for the Xeon Gold 5117. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 19.25 MB on the Xeon Gold 5117.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 28+133%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+54%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+45%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	19.25 MB+60%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	14 MB+5500%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	13,029	16,897+30%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5117 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 2400 on the Xeon Gold 5117 — the Xeon Gold 5117 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 5117 supports up to 768 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 5117). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 5117) — the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and C621 (Xeon Gold 5117).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
Socket	LGA1200	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	2400+59900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+17476167%	768
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	48+200%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 5117 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Xeon Gold 5117 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 5117
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5117 debuted at $1286. On MSRP ($160 vs $1286), the Core i5-10400F is $1126 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 13.1 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5117 — making the Core i5-10400F the 144.4% better value option.