Core i7-10700 vs Core i5-10400F

The Core i7-10700 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i5-10400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-10700 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-10700 versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F — a 11% clock advantage for the Core i7-10700 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). Both are built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i7-10700 scores 16,067 against the Core i5-10400F's 13,029 — a 20.9% lead for the Core i7-10700. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,250 vs 8,191 (39.7% advantage for the Core i7-10700). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,597 vs 1,454, a 9.4% lead for the Core i7-10700 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 7,926 vs 5,783 (31.3% advantage for the Core i7-10700). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-10700 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F.

Both processors use the LGA1200 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: B460,H470,Z490,B560,Z590 (Core i7-10700) and H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-10700 includes integrated graphics (UHD 630), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-10700 targets Gaming, Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-10700 rivals Ryzen 7 3700X; Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

The Core i7-10700 launched at $365 MSRP, while the Core i5-10400F debuted at $160. At current prices ($268 vs $102), the Core i5-10400F is $166 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-10700 delivers 60.0 pts/$ vs 127.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-10400F — making the Core i5-10400F the 72.2% better value option.