Core i5-2400 vs Core i5-10400F

The Core i5-2400 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-10400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-10400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-2400 versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F — a 23.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-10400F (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i5-2400 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-10400F uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2400 scores 3,870 against the Core i5-10400F's 13,029 — a 108.4% lead for the Core i5-10400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 595 vs 1,454, a 83.8% lead for the Core i5-10400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-2400 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F.

The Core i5-2400 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-10400F uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2400 versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F — the Core i5-10400F supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-10400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2400) and H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2400) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F). The Core i5-2400 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 2000), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2400 targets Legacy Desktop, Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-2400 rivals Phenom II X4 975; Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

The Core i5-2400 launched at $184 MSRP, while the Core i5-10400F debuted at $160. At current prices ($25 vs $102), the Core i5-2400 is $77 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-2400 delivers 154.8 pts/$ vs 127.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-10400F — making the Core i5-2400 the 19.2% better value option.