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 i5-14400

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.3% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $318 less on MSRP ($221 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.6 vs 46.4 PassMark/$ ($221 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-11900K

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14400 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,990 vs 25,329).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.4 vs 114.6 PassMark/$ ($539 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Core i5-14400

2024

Core i9-11900K

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.3% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $318 less on MSRP ($221 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.6 vs 46.4 PassMark/$ ($221 MSRP vs $539 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14400 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,990 vs 25,329).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.4 vs 114.6 PassMark/$ ($539 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-14400 better than Core i9-11900K?

Yes. Core i5-14400 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.3% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-14400 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.3% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-14400 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i5-14400 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-14400 is $318 cheaper on MSRP at $221 MSRP versus $539 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.3% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 147.2% better value on MSRP (114.6 vs 46.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i9-11900K can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Core i5-14400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i5-14400 Benchmark Check

Core i9-11900K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-14400	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	170 FPS	259 FPS
medium	154 FPS	240 FPS
high	126 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	225 FPS
medium	126 FPS	188 FPS
high	100 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	154 FPS
medium	76 FPS	129 FPS
high	61 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i5-14400 Open Core i9-11900K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-14400	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	548 FPS	420 FPS
medium	466 FPS	353 FPS
high	390 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	354 FPS	283 FPS
1440p
low	457 FPS	373 FPS
medium	402 FPS	324 FPS
high	345 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	249 FPS
4K
low	275 FPS	249 FPS
medium	244 FPS	223 FPS
high	229 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	184 FPS

Open Core i5-14400 Open Core i9-11900K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-14400	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	633 FPS	625 FPS
medium	610 FPS	536 FPS
high	540 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	458 FPS	398 FPS
1440p
low	633 FPS	598 FPS
medium	548 FPS	497 FPS
high	479 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	411 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	494 FPS	427 FPS
medium	412 FPS	370 FPS
high	370 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	311 FPS	280 FPS

Open Core i5-14400 Open Core i9-11900K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-14400	Core i9-11900K
1080p
low	633 FPS	625 FPS
medium	633 FPS	625 FPS
high	633 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	596 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	633 FPS	625 FPS
medium	633 FPS	625 FPS
high	565 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	625 FPS
4K
low	515 FPS	625 FPS
medium	471 FPS	576 FPS
high	418 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	363 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-14400 Open Core i9-11900K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-14400 and Core i9-11900K

Core i5-14400

The Core i5-14400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 25,329 points. Launch price was $221.

Core i9-11900K

The Core i9-11900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 24,990 points. Launch price was $539.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-14400 packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i9-11900K offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-14400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i5-14400 versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-11900K — a 10.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900K (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-14400 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-11900K uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-14400 scores 25,329 against the Core i9-11900K's 24,990 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-14400. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-14400 vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900K.

Feature	Core i5-14400	Core i9-11900K
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz	5.2 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Rocket Lake (2021)
PassMark	25,329+1%	24,990

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-14400 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-11900K uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-14400	Core i9-11900K
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0

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Value Analysis

The Core i5-14400 launched at $221 MSRP, while the Core i9-11900K debuted at $539. On MSRP ($221 vs $539), the Core i5-14400 is $318 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-14400 delivers 114.6 pts/$ vs 46.4 pts/$ for the Core i9-11900K — making the Core i5-14400 the 84.8% better value option.