After inspecting the specifications of both processors, the closest equivalent to the Intel Core i5-10400F is the AMD R5 3600.
My Name is Anthony, and I have been working with computers for the last 8+ years. I have had experience working with both Intel and AMD processors, in many different kinds of computers.
Today we will be discussing which AMD processor is equivalent to the Intel Core i5-10400F processor, and the various benchmarks and specifications you can use to tell that it is the equivalent.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- Cores are equivalent.
- Cache is slightly higher in AMD version.
- Power/Memory are the same.
Intel i5-10400F vs R5 3600
Here is a head-to-head comparison between the two processors.
Speed and Cores
The Intel i5 in question here is a pretty sturdy processor. It was released in quarter 2 of 2020, and is a popular version of the i5 line of processors. It comes with 6 total cores, each clocking in at about 2.90 GHz as a base frequency. You can also overclock it to get to 4.30 GHz.
For comparison, the AMD R5 3600 has around the same specifications. It came out in mid-2019. This processor was designed without integrated graphics built into it, and has a total of 6 cores as well. Each core clocks in at about 3.6 GHz and overclocks to 4.2 GHz.
Both processors come with the same amount of cores, with the AMD processor clocking in at a slightly higher base speed than its Intel counterpart. However, the Intel processor can get a little faster after overclocking. Both processors also come with 12 threads, allowing for multitasking.
Due to this, they are about equivalent in the number of cores as well as the speed of each core. The number of threads are the same, and you can match the speeds of both by overclocking as necessary.
Cache
When it comes to cache, there are usually several sizes that a processor can come with. Historically, AMD has produced processors that have bigger cache sizes than Intel processors. For reference, cache is the size of storage built into the processor, and like RAM but faster.
The Intel i5-10400F comes with a 12 MB Intel Smart Cache. According to the Intel website, the Intel Smart Cache portion is a system that allows all the cores in a computer to access the cache dynamically and as needed.
The AMD R5 3600 comes with a 32 MB cache. This is bigger than the intel cache, although they do not have the same system for smart cache like Intel does. This means that the cache may be bigger, but could run slower due to one core having to wait until another one is done.
Although those differences may not seem like much, in terms of milliseconds for a computer to complete a task and move onto the next it does become noticeable. Overall however, the AMD processor does come with a bigger cache than the Intel one, putting it slightly over.
Power
The power usage when building a computer is important to figure out what size power supply you will need. There are usually standard amounts of power drawn from processors, although some can be higher or lower than others.
In this case, both processors require 65 Watts of power from a power supply. This puts them both even with each other in terms of power and does not differentiate one from the other. That is another reason they are the equivalent of each other.
Memory Support
The Intel core i5 in question supports up to a maximum of 128 GB of RAM. This is more than most users will need, as most home computers will be running 16 GB or less of RAM.
The AMD R5 3600 also supports up to a maximum of 128 GB of RAM. Again, this is more than most will need.
Overall, they are matched in memory as well.
Overall Verdict
The AMD R5 3600 has similar speeds and core numbers to the Intel Core i5, the AMD has a bigger cache size but less availability to each core, and they both have similar power usage and memory support.
This means that these processors are pretty much the equivalent to each other, and can be used to build a similar computer with different brands.
