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 $290 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅Delivers 109.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 38.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-11855M.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-11855M across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 17,462).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Xeon W-11855M

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($450 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon W-11855M

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $290 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅Delivers 109.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 38.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-11855M.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-11855M across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 17,462).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($450 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-11855M better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-11855M 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 W-11855M is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 28.1% 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 W-11855M is the better fit. You are getting 34% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon W-11855M is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-11855M is 181.3% more expensive on MSRP at $450 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 28.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 109.9% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 38.8 PassMark/$), 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 W-11855M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 W-11855M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	192 FPS	249 FPS
medium	152 FPS	230 FPS
high	123 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	222 FPS
medium	119 FPS	186 FPS
high	97 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	132 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	154 FPS
medium	70 FPS	131 FPS
high	55 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-11855M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	326 FPS	437 FPS
medium	318 FPS	403 FPS
high	290 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	302 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	407 FPS
medium	292 FPS	344 FPS
high	267 FPS	297 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	269 FPS
medium	258 FPS	233 FPS
high	235 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	181 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-11855M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	326 FPS	437 FPS
medium	326 FPS	437 FPS
high	326 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	437 FPS
medium	326 FPS	437 FPS
high	326 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	333 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	393 FPS
medium	326 FPS	341 FPS
high	289 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-11855M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	326 FPS	437 FPS
medium	326 FPS	437 FPS
high	326 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	437 FPS
medium	326 FPS	437 FPS
high	326 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	437 FPS
medium	326 FPS	437 FPS
high	326 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	352 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-11855M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon W-11855M

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 W-11855M

The Xeon W-11855M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,462 points. Launch price was $450.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Xeon W-11855M share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.9 GHz on the Xeon W-11855M — a 13% clock advantage for the Xeon W-11855M (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon W-11855M uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon W-11855M's 17,462 — a 29.1% lead for the Xeon W-11855M. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 18 MB (total) on the Xeon W-11855M.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.9 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	10 nm SuperFin-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	13,029	17,462+34%
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 W-11855M uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Xeon W-11855M). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-11855M
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Xeon W-11855M debuted at $450. On MSRP ($160 vs $450), the Core i5-10400F is $290 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 38.8 pts/$ for the Xeon W-11855M — making the Core i5-10400F the 70.9% better value option.