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 $2,540 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $2,700 MSRP).
✅Delivers 520.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $2,700 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6248R.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6248R across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 35,434).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6248R, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6248R

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+197.9% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 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/$ ($2,700 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon Gold 6248R

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,540 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $2,700 MSRP).
✅Delivers 520.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $2,700 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6248R.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+197.9% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 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 6248R across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 35,434).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6248R, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($2,700 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6248R better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6248R 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 6248R is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 29.4% 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 Gold 6248R is the better fit. You are getting 172% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 197.9% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6248R is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6248R is 1587.5% more expensive on MSRP at $2,700 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 29.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 520.5% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 13.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon Gold 6248R is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 197.9% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 6248R Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
1080p
low	192 FPS	199 FPS
medium	152 FPS	160 FPS
high	123 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	159 FPS
medium	119 FPS	124 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	73 FPS
medium	70 FPS	60 FPS
high	55 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6248R

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
1080p
low	326 FPS	444 FPS
medium	318 FPS	388 FPS
high	290 FPS	317 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	262 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	383 FPS
medium	292 FPS	338 FPS
high	267 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	223 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	240 FPS
medium	258 FPS	213 FPS
high	235 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	156 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6248R

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
1080p
low	326 FPS	886 FPS
medium	326 FPS	886 FPS
high	326 FPS	865 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	801 FPS
medium	326 FPS	709 FPS
high	326 FPS	666 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	597 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	517 FPS
medium	326 FPS	425 FPS
high	289 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6248R

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
1080p
low	326 FPS	886 FPS
medium	326 FPS	886 FPS
high	326 FPS	841 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	713 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	886 FPS
medium	326 FPS	776 FPS
high	326 FPS	654 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	551 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	659 FPS
medium	326 FPS	574 FPS
high	326 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	414 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6248R

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon Gold 6248R

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 6248R

The Xeon Gold 6248R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 35,434 points. Launch price was $2,700.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6248R offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Gold 6248R has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6248R — a 7.2% 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 Gold 6248R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon Gold 6248R's 35,434 — a 92.5% lead for the Xeon Gold 6248R. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6248R.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	24 / 48+300%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+7%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	35.75 MB+198%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	24 MB+9500%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	13,029	35,434+172%
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 Gold 6248R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 2933 on the Xeon Gold 6248R — the Xeon Gold 6248R supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6248R supports up to 1024 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6248R). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6248R) — the Xeon Gold 6248R 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 6248R).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
Socket	LGA1200	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	2933+73225%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+13107100%	1024
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	48+200%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6248R 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 6248R rivals EPYC 7402.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6248R
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 6248R debuted at $2700. On MSRP ($160 vs $2700), the Core i5-10400F is $2540 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 13.1 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6248R — making the Core i5-10400F the 144.5% better value option.