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 $953 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Delivers 402.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 16.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-2145.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2145 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 18,024).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2145, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon W-2145

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 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 16.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,113 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Xeon W-2145

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $953 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Delivers 402.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 16.2 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-2145.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 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 W-2145 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 18,024).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2145, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.2 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($1,113 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-2145 better than Core i5-10400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2145 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-2145 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 21.6% 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 W-2145 is the better fit. You are getting 38.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon W-2145 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-2145 is 595.6% more expensive on MSRP at $1,113 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 21.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 402.8% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 16.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

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 W-2145 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	192 FPS	196 FPS
medium	152 FPS	168 FPS
high	123 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	165 FPS
medium	119 FPS	139 FPS
high	97 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	80 FPS
medium	70 FPS	72 FPS
high	55 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-2145

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	326 FPS	330 FPS
medium	318 FPS	285 FPS
high	290 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	294 FPS
medium	292 FPS	256 FPS
high	267 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	208 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	231 FPS
medium	258 FPS	204 FPS
high	235 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	165 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-2145

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	424 FPS
high	289 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	308 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-2145

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	451 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	326 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Xeon W-2145

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Xeon W-2145

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-2145

The Xeon W-2145 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,024 points. Launch price was $1,113.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-2145 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon W-2145 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon W-2145 — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2145 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon W-2145 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Xeon W-2145's 18,024 — a 32.2% lead for the Xeon W-2145. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 11 MB (total) on the Xeon W-2145.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.5 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.7 GHz+28%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+9%	11 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	13,029	18,024+38%
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-2145 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon W-2145 supports up to 512 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-10400F) vs 4 (Xeon W-2145). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 48 (Xeon W-2145) — the Xeon W-2145 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Intel X299,Intel C422 (Xeon W-2145).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	512 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	48+200%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Xeon W-2145). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Xeon W-2145
Integrated GPU	No	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-2145 debuted at $1113. On MSRP ($160 vs $1113), the Core i5-10400F is $953 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 16.2 pts/$ for the Xeon W-2145 — making the Core i5-10400F the 133.6% better value option.