The Intel Core i3-14100 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing a lead in eleven out of fourteen measured specifications. Its most significant technical advantage is an L2 cache that is 233% larger than that of the Intel Core i5-9400F. This substantial cache improvement serves as the primary driver for the superior performance profile of the newer processor across the vast majority of the evaluated metrics.

Users prioritizing modern architecture and the efficiency of a larger L2 cache should select the Intel Core i3-14100 for their build. Conversely, the Intel Core i5-9400F remains a viable option for specific workloads that rely heavily on a higher total core count, as it maintains a 50% advantage in that category. Choosing between these two components depends entirely on whether your specific computing needs favor the cache-heavy design of the newer model or the core-heavy configuration of the older one.