Which should you buy?
For gaming this is a wash, so the decision comes down to price, platform and what else you do with the PC.
Buy the Core i5-14400F if…
- you plan a faster graphics card: it keeps up with GPUs up to the RTX 5080 at 1440p.
- it's the cheaper of the two where you shop: gaming performance is close enough that price decides.
Buy the Core i5-13400F if…
- you pair it with a mid-range card: with an RTX 5070 at 1440p the two are level.
- it's the cheaper of the two where you shop: gaming performance is close enough that price decides.
Check your build
These numbers use an RTX 5090 to isolate the processor. Your own graphics card, resolution and settings change the result, so run your exact parts through the calculator.
Popular builds with these CPUs
Core i5-14400F vs Core i5-13400F: quick answers
Is the Core i5-14400F better than the Core i5-13400F for gaming?
They're within 2% of each other at 1080p with an RTX 5090, so for gaming they're effectively equal. Choose on price, platform and core count instead.
How many FPS do the Core i5-14400F and Core i5-13400F get?
Paired with an RTX 5090 at High settings, the Core i5-14400F averages about 128 FPS at 1080p and 128 at 1440p in AAA games, and 333 FPS in esports titles. The Core i5-13400F averages 126, 126 and 328 FPS.
Which graphics card should I pair with the Core i5-14400F or Core i5-13400F?
For a CPU bottleneck under 10% at 1440p, the Core i5-14400F keeps up with cards up to the RTX 5080 and the Core i5-13400F keeps up with cards up to the RX 7900 XTX. Any slower card is a safe match. At 4K both CPUs can drive faster GPUs, and at 1080p they need slower ones.