Core i5-9400 vs Ryzen 3 5300U

Core i5-9400 vs Ryzen 3 5300U Performance Spectrum

Core i5-9400

6 / 6

9,372

0.0%

9,453

+0.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

About PassMark

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.

Core i5-9400 vs Ryzen 3 5300U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-9400 vs Ryzen 3 5300U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-9400

2019

Why buy it

✅+125% larger total L3 cache (9 MB vs 4 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 5300U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,372 vs 9,453).
❌Launch MSRP is still $192 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 5300U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 9 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 5300U better than Core i5-9400?

Yes. Ryzen 3 5300U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 12.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.9% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 3 5300U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 12.2% 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, Ryzen 3 5300U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 5300U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-9400 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen 3 5300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $192 MSRP, and it still gives you a 12.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-9400 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (48.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 3 5300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/6. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-9400 vs Ryzen 3 5300U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i5-9400

The Core i5-9400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 9,372 points. Launch price was $182.

Ryzen 3 5300U

The Ryzen 3 5300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,453 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-9400 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 3 5300U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-9400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-9400 versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 3 5300U — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-9400 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-9400 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-9400 scores 9,372 against the Ryzen 3 5300U's 9,453 — a 0.9% lead for the Ryzen 3 5300U. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-9400 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 5300U.

Feature	Core i5-9400	Ryzen 3 5300U
Cores / Threads	6 / 6+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+8%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+12%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	9 MB (total)+125%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	9,372	9,453
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	5,522
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,457
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,526

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-9400 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-9400 versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 3 5300U — the Ryzen 3 5300U supports 20% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-9400 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-9400) vs 12 (Ryzen 3 5300U) — the Core i5-9400 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-9400	Ryzen 3 5300U
Socket	LGA1151	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200+20%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+33%	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-9400) vs Yes (Ryzen 3 5300U). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i5-9400) and Radeon Vega 6 (Ryzen 3 5300U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-9400 targets Desktop.