Ryzen 5 3600 vs i5-10400F

The Ryzen 5 3600 is about 6% faster at 1440p. Whether that is worth it depends on the rest of your build.

The gap changes with resolution.

CPU differences shrink as resolution rises — at 4K the graphics card does most of the work.

In a real build with a RTX 3080.

Specs alone don’t tell you which to buy. Here is what each one does when it’s actually paired up, at 1440p.

So which should you buy?

The Ryzen 5 3600 is faster, but the i5-10400F is the better buy per dollar. Take the Ryzen 5 3600 only if you want the extra headroom and the price gap doesn't bother you.

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Common questions.

Straight answers on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus the i5-10400F.

• Is the Ryzen 5 3600 better than the i5-10400F?

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  Yes, but by less than the spec sheet suggests. At 1440p the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 57 against 54 for the i5-10400F — roughly 6% faster. It also costs about $39 more at MSRP, so the question is whether that gap is worth the money for your build.

• Does the Ryzen 5 3600 or i5-10400F bottleneck a RTX 3080?

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  Paired with a RTX 3080 at 1440p, the Ryzen 5 3600 build comes out 5% CPU-bound, and the i5-10400F build comes out 6% CPU-bound. Being GPU-bound is the healthy outcome — it means the graphics card is the part working hardest.

• Is it worth upgrading from the i5-10400F to the Ryzen 5 3600?

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  Only if you are also lifting the rest of the build. The Ryzen 5 3600 is about 6% ahead at 1440p, and gaps like that shrink further at 4K where the GPU does more of the work. If you are upgrading from the i5-10400F purely for frames, check the pairing first.

• Which is better value, the Ryzen 5 3600 or the i5-10400F?

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  On performance per dollar at MSRP, the i5-10400F wins. The Ryzen 5 3600 lists at $199 for an index of 57, and the i5-10400F at $160 for 54.