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 $3,085 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $3,245 MSRP).
✅Delivers 480.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 14.0 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $3,245 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 185W, a 120W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6336Y.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6336Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 45,517).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6336Y, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6336Y

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($3,245 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌184.6% higher power demand at 185W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon Gold 6336Y

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,085 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $3,245 MSRP).
✅Delivers 480.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 14.0 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $3,245 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 185W, a 120W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6336Y.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6336Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 45,517).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6336Y, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.0 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($3,245 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌184.6% higher power demand at 185W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6336Y better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6336Y 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 6336Y is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 30.6% 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 6336Y is the better fit. You are getting 249.4% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6336Y is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6336Y is 1928.1% more expensive on MSRP at $3,245 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 30.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 480.5% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 14.0 PassMark/$), 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 6336Y is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), 200% 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 6336Y Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
1080p
low	192 FPS	190 FPS
medium	152 FPS	154 FPS
high	123 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	157 FPS
medium	119 FPS	123 FPS
high	97 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	72 FPS
medium	70 FPS	60 FPS
high	55 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6336Y

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
1080p
low	326 FPS	412 FPS
medium	318 FPS	361 FPS
high	290 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	234 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	353 FPS
medium	292 FPS	314 FPS
high	267 FPS	262 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	201 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	219 FPS
medium	258 FPS	198 FPS
high	235 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	134 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6336Y

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
1080p
low	326 FPS	971 FPS
medium	326 FPS	849 FPS
high	326 FPS	803 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	712 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	774 FPS
medium	326 FPS	668 FPS
high	326 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	560 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	497 FPS
medium	326 FPS	393 FPS
high	289 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	285 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6336Y

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
1080p
low	326 FPS	966 FPS
medium	326 FPS	875 FPS
high	326 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	646 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	757 FPS
medium	326 FPS	664 FPS
high	326 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	484 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	547 FPS
medium	326 FPS	487 FPS
high	326 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	367 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6336Y

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon Gold 6336Y

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 6336Y

The Xeon Gold 6336Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 45,517 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6336Y offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Gold 6336Y has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6336Y — a 17.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6336Y uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon Gold 6336Y's 45,517 — a 111% lead for the Xeon Gold 6336Y. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 36 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 6336Y.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	24 / 48+300%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+19%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+21%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	36 MB (total)+200%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	13,029	45,517+249%
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 6336Y uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 3200 on the Xeon Gold 6336Y — the Xeon Gold 6336Y supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6336Y supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6336Y). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 64 (Xeon Gold 6336Y) — the Xeon Gold 6336Y offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and C621A (Xeon Gold 6336Y).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
Socket	LGA1200	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	3200+79900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	64+300%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6336Y 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 6336Y rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6336Y
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 6336Y debuted at $3245. On MSRP ($160 vs $3245), the Core i5-10400F is $3085 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 14.0 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6336Y — making the Core i5-10400F the 141.2% better value option.