Intel Core i5 11400F 6-core LGA1200

The i5-11400F posts a single-core PassMark of 2,980, good for the 81st percentile, which makes it a surprisingly strong gaming chip for the money. The 65W TDP keeps things cool and efficient, and users rate it 4.7 out of 5. Just remember there's no integrated graphics and the stock cooler struggles under heavy load.

The single-core PassMark score of 2,980 is the headline here. That's an 81st percentile result, putting it ahead of most chips in our database for gaming and lightly-threaded tasks. The 4.4GHz boost clock does the heavy lifting, and the 12MB of L3 cache keeps things moving. Multi-core comes in at 16,884, which is a 73rd percentile showing. Not top of the charts, but for a 6-core part at this price, it handles streaming, multitasking, and mid-range gaming without breaking a sweat.

Power draw is where this chip really shines. The 65W TDP is modest, and users consistently mention low power consumption and heat as strengths. Pair it with something like an RTX 3060 Ti and you've got a balanced budget gaming rig. The stock cooler is fine for light use, but multiple owners report temperatures hitting 100°C under load. If you plan to push this chip, budget for an aftermarket cooler. The 14nm Rocket Lake architecture isn't the newest, but it's proven and stable.

Stacked against the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the i5-11400F gets absolutely demolished in raw performance. The 9800X3D is a current-gen gaming monster, but it also costs several times more. That's not a fair fight. The real comparison is against other budget chips. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is an older server part that trades blows in multi-threaded workloads but falls behind in single-core, which matters more for gaming. The i5-11400F's single-core score of 2,980 is its ace. For the money, especially at the low end of the US price range, this chip holds its own against anything in its class. The 73rd percentile multi-core score means it's not the best for heavy productivity, but for gaming and general use, it's a standout.

The i5-11400F is a value monster when you find it at the right price. US listings range from $120 to $230, a $110 spread that means you need to shop around. The low end of that range is where this chip becomes a no-brainer for budget builds. European buyers see a tighter spread of €319 to €353, a €34 difference across six listings. The efficiency score of 79.6/100 and budget score of 79.2/100 back up what users are saying: this is one of the best price-to-performance CPUs for a mid-range gaming rig. Just don't overpay. At the top of the US price range, you're getting close to newer options that might make more sense.

The Core i5-11400F posts a PassMark multi-core score of 16,884 and a single-core score of 2,980. That single-core number lands in the 81st percentile, which means it's a strong performer for gaming and everyday snappiness. The multi-core score sits at the 73rd percentile, solid but not earth-shattering. For a 6-core, 12-thread chip with a 4.4GHz boost clock, those are respectable numbers that punch above what you'd expect from a budget CPU.

What makes this chip interesting is the value angle. Our database shows efficiency at 79.6/100 and budget at 79.2/100, both well above average. The catch? No integrated graphics. The F-suffix means you need a dedicated GPU, which is fine for gamers but a dealbreaker for office builds. Users rate it 4.7 out of 5 across 1,534 reviews, and the sentiment score sits at 82/100 with high confidence. People genuinely like this thing.

Skip this if you don't already own or plan to buy a dedicated GPU. The F-suffix means no integrated graphics, so there's no fallback if your GPU dies or if you're building a basic office machine. Also skip it if you do heavy multi-threaded work like video editing or 3D rendering. The multi-core score of 16,884 is only 73rd percentile, and the 14nm architecture is showing its age. And if you're seeing prices at the top of the US range around $230, you're better off looking at newer options that offer better performance per dollar.

The i5-11400F earns its 82/100 sentiment score and 4.7-star rating. The single-core performance is genuinely impressive for the price, and the 65W TDP keeps your power bill and case temps in check. The lack of integrated graphics is the one real gotcha, but if you're building a gaming PC, you were buying a GPU anyway. The stock cooler running hot under load is a known issue, so factor in $30-40 for a decent air cooler. At the low end of the US price range, this is one of the best budget CPUs you can buy. At the high end, look elsewhere.