Core i5-9400F vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

Intel

Core i5-9400F

6 Cores6 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2019
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2020
Similar parts
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Core i5-9400F vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U Performance Spectrum

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 i5-9400F vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U 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 i5-9400F vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-9400F

2019

Why buy it

  • +125% larger total L3 cache (9 MB vs 4 MB).
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (9,462 vs 9,493).
  • Launch MSRP is still $182 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

2020

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +11.6% 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 PRO 4450U better than Core i5-9400F?
Yes. Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 11.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.3% 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 PRO 4450U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 11.6% 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, Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-9400F is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $182 MSRP, and it still gives you a 11.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-9400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (52.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 4450U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 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 i5-9400F vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U Technical Specifications

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

Intel

Core i5-9400F

The Core i5-9400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) 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: 9,462 points. Launch price was $182.

AMD

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

The Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir PRO (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 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: DDR4-4266. Passmark benchmark score: 9,493 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Core i5-9400F packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-9400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-9400F versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-9400F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-9400F uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U uses Renoir PRO (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-9400F scores 9,462 against the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U's 9,493 — a 0.3% lead for the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-9400F vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U.

FeatureCore i5-9400FRyzen 3 PRO 4450U
Cores / Threads
6 / 6+50%
4 / 8
Boost Clock
4.1 GHz+11%
3.7 GHz
Base Clock
2.9 GHz+21%
2.4 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-R (2018−2019)
Renoir PRO (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark
9,462
9,493
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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-9400F uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-9400FRyzen 3 PRO 4450U
Socket
LGA1151
FP6
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
No
PCIe Lanes
16
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-9400F) / not specified (Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U). Primary use case: Core i5-9400F targets Desktop.

FeatureCore i5-9400FRyzen 3 PRO 4450U
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Desktop