Ryzen 5 8400F vs i3-8121U

Aggregate performance score

Core i3-8121U
2018
2 cores / 4 threads, 15 Watt
2.76
Ryzen 5 8400F
2024
6 cores / 12 threads, 65 Watt
15.13
+448%

Ryzen 5 8400F outperforms Core i3-8121U by a whopping 448% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1686459
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluationno data60.25
Market segmentLaptopDesktop processor
SeriesIntel Core i3no data
Power efficiency9.3322.03
Architecture codenameCoffee Lake-U (2018−2019)Phoenix (2023−2024)
Release date5 May 2018 (6 years ago)1 April 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)no data$170

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores2 (Dual-core)6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads412
Base clock speed2.2 GHz4.2 GHz
Boost clock speed3.2 GHz4.7 GHz
Bus typeOPIno data
Bus rate4 GT/sno data
Multiplier22no data
L1 cache64K (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)1 MB (per core)
L3 cache4 MB (shared)16 MB (shared)
Chip lithography10 nm4 nm
Die size123 mm2178 mm2
Maximum core temperature105 °Cno data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °Cno data
Number of transistorsno data25,000 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-no data
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration1 (Uniprocessor)1
SocketIntel BGA1440AM5
Power consumption (TDP)15 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512no data
AES-NI++
AVX++
vPro-no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
QuickAssist-no data
Speed Shift+no data
My WiFi+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access+no data
Smart Response+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
HD Audio+no data
RST+no data
Precision Boost 2no data+

Security technologies

Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data
Secure Key+no data
MPX+-
SGX-no data
OS Guard+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+
VT-d+no data
VT-x+no data
VT-i-no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR5
Maximum memory size32 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth38.397 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIris Pro PlusN/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F.

PCIe version3.04.0
PCI Express lanes1620

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i3-8121U 2.76
Ryzen 5 8400F 15.13
+448%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i3-8121U 4391
Ryzen 5 8400F 24031
+447%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 2.76 15.13
Recency 5 May 2018 1 April 2024
Physical cores 2 6
Threads 4 12
Chip lithography 10 nm 4 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 15 Watt 65 Watt

i3-8121U has 333.3% lower power consumption.

Ryzen 5 8400F, on the other hand, has a 448.2% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 5 years, 200% more physical cores and 200% more threads, and a 150% more advanced lithography process.

The Ryzen 5 8400F is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-8121U in performance tests.

Be aware that Core i3-8121U is a notebook processor while Ryzen 5 8400F is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-8121U and Ryzen 5 8400F, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.


Intel Core i3-8121U
Core i3-8121U
AMD Ryzen 5 8400F
Ryzen 5 8400F

Similar processor comparisons

We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.

Community ratings

Here you can see how users rate the processors, as well as rate them yourself.


3.3 3 votes

Rate Core i3-8121U on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
3.8 239 votes

Rate Ryzen 5 8400F on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i3-8121U or Ryzen 5 8400F, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.