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 $3,040 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $3,200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 519.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $3,200 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 185W, a 120W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6338N.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6338N across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 42,086).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6338N

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 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 13.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($3,200 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 6338N

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,040 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $3,200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 519.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 13.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $3,200 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 185W, a 120W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6338N.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 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 6338N across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 42,086).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($3,200 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 6338N better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6338N 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 6338N is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 23.1% 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 6338N is the better fit. You are getting 223% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6338N is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6338N is 1900.0% more expensive on MSRP at $3,200 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 23.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 519.2% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 13.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon Gold 6338N is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), 300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 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 6338N Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	192 FPS	185 FPS
medium	152 FPS	149 FPS
high	123 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	154 FPS
medium	119 FPS	120 FPS
high	97 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	72 FPS
medium	70 FPS	60 FPS
high	55 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	326 FPS	232 FPS
medium	318 FPS	208 FPS
high	290 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	199 FPS
medium	292 FPS	180 FPS
high	267 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	124 FPS
medium	258 FPS	114 FPS
high	235 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	326 FPS	945 FPS
medium	326 FPS	826 FPS
high	326 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	692 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	747 FPS
medium	326 FPS	644 FPS
high	326 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	540 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	479 FPS
medium	326 FPS	379 FPS
high	289 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6338N

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	326 FPS	893 FPS
medium	326 FPS	811 FPS
high	326 FPS	697 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	599 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	701 FPS
medium	326 FPS	615 FPS
high	326 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	505 FPS
medium	326 FPS	452 FPS
high	326 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	344 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon Gold 6338N

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 6338N

The Xeon Gold 6338N is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 42,086 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6338N offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6338N has 26 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6338N — a 20.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6338N uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon Gold 6338N's 42,086 — a 105.4% lead for the Xeon Gold 6338N. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 48 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 6338N.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	32 / 64+433%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+23%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+32%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	48 MB (total)+300%
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	42,086+223%
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 6338N uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 2667 on the Xeon Gold 6338N — the Xeon Gold 6338N supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6338N supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6338N). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 64 (Xeon Gold 6338N) — the Xeon Gold 6338N offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and LGA4189 (Xeon Gold 6338N).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
Socket	LGA1200	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	2667+66575%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+2184433%	6144
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	64+300%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6338N 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 6338N rivals EPYC 7513.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon Gold 6338N
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 6338N debuted at $3200. On MSRP ($160 vs $3200), the Core i5-10400F is $3040 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 13.2 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6338N — making the Core i5-10400F the 144.4% better value option.