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The Intel Core i5 10400 is the best-selling 10th gen Comet Lake processor. This chip is a successor to the Core i5 9400 and a predecessor to the Rocket Lake-based Core i5 11400. Even more than two years after its release, it holds up quite well and is still selling like hotcakes.
However, whether gamers should opt for the 10400 is debatable. Intel has replaced the chip with many more powerful processors like the Core i5 11400 and the i5 12400. The Alder Lake counterpart features highly improved single-core performance marks and is arguably the best option under $200.
Choosing between a cheaper chip and a better-performing but costlier one can be difficult. Let's take a look at what the Core i5 10400 and the 12400 have to offer, and which one is a better choice this Holiday Sale.
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Should gamers opt for the Core i5 10400 this Holiday Sale?
The Core i5 10400 is based on Intel's 14nm process refinement. It is a six-core, 12-threaded chip. The processor has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and it can boost up to 4.30 GHz like its last-gen counterpart, the Core i5 9400.
The chip ships with 12 MB of cache and has a maximum TDP of 65W. It supports DDR4 memory only and has an Intel UHD Graphics 630 processor built-in. The capabilities of this onboard GPU are questionable, but it can handle basic tasks like video encoding and browsing at UHD resolutions with ease.
Core i5 10400 benchmark scores
The processor scores 1,120 points on the Cinebench R23 single-core benchmark. In the multi-core tests, it scores 8,160 points.
This makes the chip much slower than the Core i3 12100, which is a cheaper option. The quad-core Alder Lake processor scores 1,658 points on the single-core benchmark. Additionally, it has a multi-core benchmark of 8,448 points, which makes it faster than the 10th gen Core i5, despite having two fewer cores.
The Core i5 12400 beats the Core i5 10400 by a larger margin. Thus, users who want to use the processor for productivity purposes and have the budget to spend more should opt for the Alder Lake chip.
Intel is also coming up with a Core i5 13400, which is rumored to offer i5 12600K-like performance at less than $200. Thus, gamers can consider waiting for those chips.
The highly improved single-core performance marks of the 12th gen Intel Core processors make them a much better option for gaming. Thus, it makes no sense to dump almost $120 for the Core i5 10400 anymore.
For those with a B460 or B560 motherboard, consider upgrading to an H610 option. With the Alder Lake upgrade, Intel has improved its low-end motherboards by a solid margin. Many H610 boards come with solid VRM designs, PCIe Gen 4 x16, and SSD slots.
This is in contrast to many B460 and B560 motherboards that come with PCIe Gen 3 connectivity and worse VRM designs in cheaper models.
Conclusion
The Core i5 10400 was a solid option for gaming and light productivity when it launched back in 2020. However, new options in the market showcase the age of the Comet Lake architecture. Gamers are thus better off with newer and cheaper options.
