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Intel Core i5-10400T

Intel Core i5-10400T: Review and Relevance in 2025

Architecture, Performance, and Use Cases of the Budget Processor

Key Specifications: Comet Lake in Detail

The Intel Core i5-10400T processor, released in 2020, belongs to the 10th generation (Comet Lake) and is still found in budget builds. Its key parameters include:

- 6 cores and 12 threads — multitasking capability for office and multimedia tasks.

- Base frequency 2.0 GHz, maximum — 3.6 GHz (Turbo Boost).

- 14nm manufacturing process — outdated but proven technology.

- TDP of 35W — low power consumption and minimal heat generation.

- Intel UHD Graphics 630 — basic graphics for non-demanding games and video.

- Geekbench 6: 1138 (Single-Core), 4114 (Multi-Core) — performance level comparable to Ryzen 5 3400G.

Key Features:

- Support for Hyper-Threading for stream handling.

- Intel Quick Sync Video technology (video encoding acceleration) and AES-NI (encryption).

- Compatibility with Windows 10/11 and Linux.

Practical example: In office PCs from 2023–2024, this processor was frequently used in mini-PCs (e.g., ASUS PN50) due to its compactness and energy efficiency.

Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 1200 socket, limiting motherboard choices to chipsets from the 400 and 500 series:

- H410, B460, H470, Z490 (400 series) — basic support without PCIe 4.0.

- H510, B560, H570, Z590 (500 series) — improved power delivery and support for DDR4-3200 memory.

Selection Recommendations:

- For budget builds: ASUS Prime B460M-A ($90–110) or Gigabyte H510M-H ($75).

- For upgrades: MSI B560M Pro-VDH ($120) with memory overclocking.

Important: The processor does not support PCIe 4.0, so motherboards with this interface will not provide a performance boost.

Memory: DDR4 and Its Nuances

The Core i5-10400T works only with DDR4. Officially supported frequencies are:

- 2666 MHz on 400 series chipsets.

- Up to 2933–3200 MHz on 500 series (depends on the motherboard).

Tips:

- For stability, choose modules with a frequency of 2666 MHz (e.g., Crucial DDR4-2666 16GB, $45).

- On B560 motherboards, you can install 3200 MHz memory, but the performance increase in games will be minimal (5–7%).

Example: In a 2024 build with ASRock B560M-HDV and DDR4-3200, users noted an 8–10% improvement in Photoshop performance compared to DDR4-2666.

Power Supply: Calculations and Recommendations

With a TDP of 35W, a system with the i5-10400T consumes:

- ~80–100W without a discrete graphics card.

- ~250–300W with a GPU such as the NVIDIA GTX 1650.

Recommended PSUs:

- Without a graphics card: EVGA 450 BR ($50) or Be Quiet! System Power 10 400W ($55).

- With a graphics card: Corsair CX550 ($70) or Seasonic S12III 500W ($65).

Important: Do not skimp on the power supply — unstable power can reduce the lifespan of components.

Pros and Cons: Who is the i5-10400T Suitable For?

Pros:

- Low power consumption — ideal for HTPCs or office PCs.

- Integrated graphics — can run Dota 2 or CS:GO at low settings (40–60 FPS).

- Affordable price — a new processor in 2025 costs $130–160.

Cons:

- Outdated 14nm manufacturing process — lags behind Ryzen 5 5500 (7nm) in energy efficiency.

- No support for PCIe 4.0 and DDR5.

- Limited overclocking capabilities — multiplier is locked.

Use Cases: Where is the Processor Relevant in 2025?

1. Office tasks — working with documents, browsers, Zoom.

2. Home theater — 4K video via HDMI 2.0, streaming services.

3. Light gaming — Minecraft, Overwatch 2 at low settings.

4. Basic work tasks — Photoshop, AutoCAD LT (for 2D projects).

Example: In 2023, the processor was actively used in digital signage systems (advertising screens) due to its reliability and low heat output.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 5 5600G ($160):

- Pros: 7nm, Vega 7 (graphics are 30–40% stronger), supports PCIe 4.0.

- Cons: TDP 65W, more expensive.

- Intel Core i3-12100T ($140):

- Pros: 10nm, higher IPC, supports DDR5.

- Cons: 4 cores, weaker in multi-threaded tasks.

Conclusion: The i5-10400T only wins in price and multi-threading against the i3, but loses to Ryzen in energy efficiency.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Case Selection: Mini-ITX (Fractal Design Node 304) for compact systems.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, get the DeepCool Gammaxx 400 ($25).

3. Storage: Always use an SSD (Kingston A2000 500GB, $45) — an HDD will bottleneck performance.

4. Upgrade: Do not invest in an expensive motherboard — the LGA 1200 socket is outdated.

Final Conclusion: Who is the i5-10400T Suitable For?

This processor should only be considered in two scenarios:

1. Budget build for office, study, or media center.

2. Upgrade of an old PC on 8th or 9th generation Intel without replacing the motherboard.

In 2025, the i5-10400T is a compromise for those looking to save but willing to accept the limitations of an outdated platform. For new systems, it's better to choose Ryzen 5 7500F or Core i5-13400 with support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2020

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i5-10400T

Code Name

Comet Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.00 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.60 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom.

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1200

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2666

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

41.6 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics 630

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2160@30Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

12 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1138

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

4114

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

880

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

4384

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2158

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

9935

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon Platinum 8170

1204 +5.8%

Ryzen 5 3400G

1170 +2.8%

Core i5-10400T

1138

Core i5-8400T

1097 -3.6%

Core i3-8121U

1065 -6.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 5 5500U

4604 +11.9%

Xeon E-2224G

4348 +5.7%

Core i5-10400T

4114

Xeon E5-1660

3870 -5.9%

Core i7-7700T

3643 -11.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-8260U

917 +4.2%

Xeon E5-2667 v4

895 +1.7%

Core i5-10400T

880

EPYC 7452

867 -1.5%

Xeon Platinum 8168

851 -3.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2690 v2

4841 +10.4%

Xeon E5-2430 v2

4635 +5.7%

Core i5-10400T

4384

EPYC 7513

4150 -5.3%

Pentium 8505

3952 -9.9%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-1038NG7

2212 +2.5%

Xeon Gold 6150

2188 +1.4%

Core i5-10400T

2158

Core i5-9400T

2130 -1.3%

Core i5-6500

2113 -2.1%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon E5-4650 v3

10838 +9.1%

Xeon E5-4640 v3

10372 +4.4%

Core i5-10400T

9935

Core i7-4930K

9421 -5.2%

Xeon D-1548

9075 -8.7%