Is Intel Core I5 10400 still good? CPU Revisit
Introduction
In late 2019 and early 2020, Intel released Its 10th generation of Intel processors. Although there are stronger processors from that generation (like I5 10600k), Intel Core I5 10400 really catches the eyes of people the most.
With 6 cores and 12 threads, this CPU is a very good option for all kinds of tasks, but there are a few disadvantages that I want to write about in this article.
Keep reading and find out all the information!
Intel Core I5 10400 Specifications
| Number of Cores | 6 cores |
| Number of Threads | 12 threads |
| Base Frequency | 2.9 GHz |
| Boost Frequency | 4.3 GHz |
| Process Size | 14 nm |
| TDP | 65W |
| Socket | LGA 1200 |
Best Intel Core I5 10400 Offer
Is Intel Core I5 10400 still good? Short Topic Answer
Intel Core I5 10400 is definitely a good processor for all kinds of tasks. When paired with a good GPU, you can expect a good experience in whatever game or program you try. Although it will do a good job, If you don’t own an LGA1200 motherboard there are better AMD Ryzen 5 processors to buy instead
Is Intel Core I5 10400 Good For Gaming?
Intel I5 10400 is a very good processor when it comes to gaming. Although it’s not an overclockable version, I5 10400 still manages to do just fine in almost every popular video game you try, doesn’t matter what resolution it is. Pair it with a good GPU and your experience will be more than good.
In the next part of the article, I will test Intel I5 10400 with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 in both 1080p and 1440p. Keep Reading!
Is Intel Core I5 10400 Good For 1080p Gaming?
The first test that I did when it comes to gaming is in the most popular and the most important resolution when testing the strength of the processors – 1080p.
In order to get the best performance and to use the maximum of this CPU, I paired Intel I5 10400 with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070, which will be more than enough to perform well in the benchmarks.
As you can see in the table below, I tested these two together in 5 different games and all of them were on Ultra settings since the majority of the people will run AAA games on Ultra graphics details too.
As you can see, even the games that are known as the hardest to run averaged more than 80 fps, which is a really good performance considering that I5 10400 is only a 6 cores processor.
Three out of Five games even averaged more than 100 fps, which tells us that gaming on higher refresh rates is more than possible if we adjust the graphics settings the right way.
To cut the story, take a look at the table yourself.
| specs: Intel Core I5 10400, Nvidia RTX 3070, 32GB DDR4, 1TB SSD | AVERAGE FPS | 1% LOW FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 111 fps | 74 fps |
| Hitman 3 (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 152 fps | 103 fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 81 fps | 48 fps |
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 87 fps | 67 fps |
| Battlefield V (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 159 fps | 66 fps |
Is Intel Core I5 10400 Good For 1440p Gaming?
The second benchmark that I did was in the sweet middle for most gamers, since this resolution is the best mixture of performance and quality – 1440p. In this resolution, I once again test this CPU with Nvidia RTX 3070, in the same 5 games and on the same graphics preset.
This time, our Graphics card will have more of the job, especially in 1440p Ultra which is the case this time.
As you can see, all 5 games averaged more than 60 fps, which is more than good for the 1440p resolution. Intel i5 10400 really showed us that it can be good support for the GPU when it comes to gaming in higher resolutions.
Take a look at the table.
| specs: Intel Core I5 10400, Nvidia RTX 3070, 32GB DDR4, 1TB SSD | AVERAGE FPS | 1% LOW FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra settings - 1440p) | 85 fps | 63 fps |
| Hitman 3 (settings - 1440p) | 141 fps | 96 fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (settings - 1440p) | 67 fps | 44 fps |
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla (Ultra settings - 1440p) | 73 fps | 58 fps |
| Battlefield V (Ultra settings - 1440p) | 142 fps | 61 fps |
Difference Between Intel I5 10400 and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 – Gaming Test
To give you a clear image of how good Intel i5 10400 is overall, I wanted to test it against one of the biggest rivals – AMD Ryzen 5 3600. As you can see in the table below, to taste them correctly, I paired them with the powerful Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti and benchmarked them in the 1080p resolution.
Since there are a lot of people that are thinking that Ryzen 5 3600 beats Intel i5 10400 in gaming performance, you should take a look at the table below and see how that isn’t true at all.
Although the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is maybe a better option to buy right now, I5 10400 really performed well in this testing. As you can see below, 4 out of 5 games averaged more than 100 fps with both processors, which is a really good result considering that they were played on High-Ultra settings.
Take a look at the table yourself.
| specs: Intel Core I5 10400| AMD Ryzen 5 3600, RTX 280 Ti, 32 Gb DDR4, 1TB SSD | Intel I5 10400 - AVERAGE FPS | Intel I5 10400 - 1% LOW FPS | Ryzen 5 3600 - AVERAGE FPS | Ryzen 5 3600 - 1% LOW FPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (High settings - 1080p) | 115 fps | 85 fps | 109 fps | 78 fps |
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Very High settings - 1080p) | 95 fps | 67 fps | 98 fps | 69 fps |
| Battlefield V (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 147 fps | 93 fps | 143 fps | 89 fps |
| Far Cry New Dawn (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 106 fps | 81 fps | 103 fps | 78 fps |
| The Witcher 3 (Ultra settings - 1080p) | 181 fps | 88 fps | 179 fps | 91 fps |
Best Graphics Card To Pair With intel Core I5 10400
Best Nvidia Graphics Card To Pair With Intel Core I5 10400
Nvidia RTX 3060 12GB is the best Nvidia graphics card that you can pair with Intel Core i5 10400. Not only that this graphics card will work very well with Intel i5 10400, but you will have room for possible updates in the future since Nvidia RTX 3060 can work well with much better processors.
If you want to inform more about this graphics card, you can read my post where I covered all the necessary things by clicking the button below.
Best Nvidia RTX 3060 Offer At The Moment
Best AMD Graphics Card To Pair With Intel Core I5 10400
AMD RX6800 XT is the best AMD graphics card that you should pair with Intel I5 10400. With this GPU and Intel i5 10400 paired you can expect to play video games on whatever graphics details and resolution you like. AMD RX6800 Xt is a powerful GPU and you will have room for a CPU update.
Best AMD RX6800 XT Offer At The Moment
Is Intel I5 10400 A Future-Proof Processor?
Intel I5 10400 is a CPU less than 2 years old, and one thing is sure about Intel processors is that they last much longer than we expected. Considering that, the Intel i5 10400 which has 6c/12th will probably be a good CPU for a lot of people even 3-5 years from now, which makes it future-proof.
Is Intel I5 104000 Good For Video Editing And Streaming?
Intel I5 10400 is a good CPU when it comes to streaming or video editing. Although it can do its job well, you need to know the limits of this processor before buying it for these kinds of tasks. Going for its rival – Ryzen 5 3600 would be a better choice, especially if you pair it with a fast RAM
