The i5-8400 is a competitively priced hex-core processor from Intel’s 8th generation of Core processors (Coffee Lake). Along with the release of the unlocked i5-8600K, this is the first time that six-core processors have featured in the i5 line-up. Like the other Coffee Lake processors, the i5-8400 is based upon an improved version of Intel’s 14nm architecture which featured in both Skylake and Kaby Lake. Early benchmarks reveal that for average quad core usage (most games employ a maximum of four cores) the i5-8400 performs way above its pay grade. It achieves quad core mixed speeds close to Intel’s outgoing 2017 flagship the $300, quad-core, 8 thread i7-7700k, which to date has been a strong favourite for high-end gaming setups. On paper, the i5-8400 has a base clock of 2.8 GHz (Intel are significantly downplaying the performance of this SKU by giving it a relatively low nominal base clock), an all core boost of 3.8 GHz (this is the effective base clock figure that counts) and a single core boost of 4 GHz. This compares reasonably well to the i5-8600K which has a base clock of 3.6 GHz, all core boost of 4.1 GHz and a single core boost of 4.3 GHz. The i5-8400 also features 9MB of L3 cache and an energy-thrifty TDP of 65W. Priced at under $190, the i5-8400 offers fantastic value for money. Unfortunately, like the other Coffee Lake processors, the i5-8400 will require a new 300 series motherboard, and at the time of writing, the only available version is Intel’s high-end Z370 which isn't an ideal pairing for the i5-8400. The Z series motherboards are designed to cater for the unlocked and overclockable "K" SKUs. Cheaper 300 series motherboards will be available in 2018 at which time the 8400 will offer even better value for money. [Oct '17 CPUPro]