Xeon W-1290
VS
Core i5-10400F

Xeon W-1290 vs Core i5-10400F

Intel

Xeon W-1290

10 Cores20 Thrd80 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2020
VS
Intel

Core i5-10400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon W-1290

#242
Xeon E-2246G
MSRP: $311|Avg: $268
110%
#244
Xeon w3-2423
MSRP: $359|Avg: $300
109%
#245
EPYC 8434P
MSRP: $1517|Avg: $3137
109%
#247
EPYC 7443P
MSRP: $1337|Avg: $1045
105%
#248
EPYC 4564P
MSRP: $1517|Avg: $1517
105%
#249
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX
MSRP: $1340|Avg: $1340
105%
#250
EPYC 7D12
MSRP: $1000|Avg: $100
105%
#251
Xeon W-1390P
MSRP: $594|Avg: $450
104%
#253
Xeon W-2150B
MSRP: $499|Avg: $400
102%
#255
Xeon 6517P
MSRP: $1195|Avg: $1195
101%
#257
Xeon W-1290
MSRP: $498|Avg: $300
100%
#258
EPYC 9124
MSRP: $1083|Avg: $1083
100%
#260
EPYC 4584PX
MSRP: $1517|Avg: $1517
98%
#261
Xeon w3-2435
MSRP: $669|Avg: $790
98%
#263
Xeon 6710E
MSRP: $1565|Avg: $344
97%
#264
Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $180
97%
#266
EPYC 7C13
MSRP: $2000|Avg: $2000
95%
#267
Xeon Gold 6336Y
MSRP: $3245|Avg: N/A
94%
#268
Xeon w5-2565X
MSRP: $1389|Avg: $1389
93%
#269
Xeon Silver 4416+
MSRP: $1186|Avg: $1176
92%
#270
Xeon E-2176G
MSRP: $367|Avg: $405
92%
#271
EPYC 7401
MSRP: $1500|Avg: $450
91%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-10400F

#92
Ryzen 5 8600G
MSRP: $229|Avg: $190
104%
#93
Core i7-13700KF
MSRP: $384|Avg: $350
102%
#94
Ryzen 7 9700X
MSRP: $359|Avg: $285
102%
#95
Ryzen 9 7900
MSRP: $429|Avg: $370
102%
#96
Core Ultra 5 235T
MSRP: $247|Avg: $247
102%
#97
Ryzen 9 5950X
MSRP: $799|Avg: $350
101%
#98
Ryzen 9 7900X3D
MSRP: $599|Avg: $389
101%
#99
Core i5-14400F
MSRP: $196|Avg: $199
101%
#100
Core i5-14400
MSRP: $221|Avg: $197
101%
#101
Core i5-13400
MSRP: $221|Avg: $185
101%
#102
Ryzen 9 7950X3D
MSRP: $699|Avg: $486
100%
#103
Core i5-11600
MSRP: $213|Avg: $140
100%
#104
Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
MSRP: $259|Avg: $160
100%
#105
Core i9-12900K
MSRP: $589|Avg: $322
100%
#106
Ryzen 7 5800XT
MSRP: $249|Avg: $219
100%
#107
Core i5-10400F
MSRP: $160|Avg: $102
100%
#108
Core i9-12900KF
MSRP: $564|Avg: $320
100%
#109
Ryzen 5 PRO 4650GE
MSRP: $209|Avg: $120
100%
#110
Ryzen 5 4600GE
MSRP: $200|Avg: $125
100%
#111
Core i5-10500T
MSRP: $226|Avg: $80
99%
#112
Core i5-14600
MSRP: $255|Avg: $255
99%
#113
Core i7-14700F
MSRP: $359|Avg: $330
98%
#114
Ryzen 3 PRO 3200G
MSRP: $89|Avg: $52
98%
#115
Core i9-14900K
MSRP: $589|Avg: $469
98%
#116
Ryzen 5 PRO 5655GE
MSRP: $146|Avg: $146
97%
#117
Core i7-13790F
MSRP: $392|Avg: $350
97%
#118
Core i5-14500
MSRP: $239|Avg: $251
97%
#119
Core i5-11600KF
MSRP: $237|Avg: $157
97%
#120
Ryzen 5 5600XT
MSRP: $192|Avg: $180
97%
#121
Core i5-13600
MSRP: $255|Avg: $255
97%
#122
Core i3-13100F
MSRP: $109|Avg: $119
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($300) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W-1290 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon W-1290Core i5-10400F
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($300)
More affordable ($102)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-10400F ($102), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($198 less, 66% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon W-1290Core i5-10400F
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+91%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($300)
More affordable ($102)

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W-1290 and Core i5-10400F

Intel

Xeon W-1290

The Xeon W-1290 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 20,112 points. Launch price was $800.

Intel

Core i5-10400F

The Core i5-10400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,029 points. Launch price was $155.

Processing Power

The Xeon W-1290 packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i5-10400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon W-1290 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Xeon W-1290 versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F — a 17% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1290 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). Both are built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon W-1290 scores 20,112 against the Core i5-10400F's 13,029 — a 42.7% lead for the Xeon W-1290. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1290 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F.

FeatureXeon W-1290Core i5-10400F
Cores / Threads
10 / 20+67%
6 / 12
Boost Clock
5.1 GHz+19%
4.3 GHz
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+10%
2.9 GHz
L3 Cache
20 MB (total)+67%
12 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark
20,112+54%
13,029
Cinebench R23 Multi
8,191
Geekbench 6 Single
1,454
Geekbench 6 Multi
5,783
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1200 socket with PCIe 3.0.

FeatureXeon W-1290Core i5-10400F
Socket
LGA1200
LGA1200
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon W-1290) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

FeatureXeon W-1290Core i5-10400F
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Gaming
💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon W-1290 launched at $498 MSRP, while the Core i5-10400F debuted at $160. At current prices ($300 vs $102), the Core i5-10400F is $198 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon W-1290 delivers 67.0 pts/$ vs 127.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-10400F — making the Core i5-10400F the 62.3% better value option.

FeatureXeon W-1290Core i5-10400F
MSRP
$498
$160-68%
Avg Price (30d)
$300
$102-66%
Performance per Dollar
67.0
127.7+91%
Release Date
2020
2020