PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $73 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 10,400).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 91.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12600 moves to FP7/FP8 and DDR5.

Core i5-12600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +57.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 12.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 91.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($233 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
45.6% HIGHER MSRP
$233 MSRPvs$160 MSRP

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i5-12600

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $73 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +57.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 12.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 91.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($233 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (5,783 vs 10,400).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.4 vs 91.8 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12600 moves to FP7/FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
45.6% HIGHER MSRP
$233 MSRPvs$160 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12600 better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i5-12600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 57.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 79.8% better Geekbench multi-core, 64.1% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-12600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 57.6% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12600 is the better fit. You are getting 79.8% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-12600 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12600 is 45.6% more expensive on MSRP at $233 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 57.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 12.7% better value on MSRP (91.8 vs 81.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-12600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP7/FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-10400F Benchmark Check

Core i5-12600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
1080p
low	192 FPS	274 FPS
medium	152 FPS	260 FPS
high	123 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	188 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	240 FPS
medium	119 FPS	204 FPS
high	97 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	145 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	167 FPS
medium	70 FPS	142 FPS
high	55 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	97 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-12600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
1080p
low	326 FPS	523 FPS
medium	318 FPS	438 FPS
high	290 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	434 FPS
medium	292 FPS	375 FPS
high	267 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	279 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	289 FPS
medium	258 FPS	256 FPS
high	235 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	201 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-12600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
1080p
low	326 FPS	535 FPS
medium	326 FPS	535 FPS
high	326 FPS	535 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	535 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	535 FPS
medium	326 FPS	535 FPS
high	326 FPS	535 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	508 FPS
medium	326 FPS	451 FPS
high	289 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	327 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-12600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
1080p
low	326 FPS	535 FPS
medium	326 FPS	535 FPS
high	326 FPS	535 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	535 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	535 FPS
medium	326 FPS	535 FPS
high	326 FPS	535 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	521 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	535 FPS
medium	326 FPS	501 FPS
high	326 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	369 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i5-12600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i5-12600

Core i5-10400F

The Core i5-10400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,029 points. Launch price was $155.

Core i5-12600

The Core i5-12600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5x, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,383 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-10400F and Core i5-12600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-12600 — a 11% clock advantage for the Core i5-12600 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-12600 uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i5-12600's 21,383 — a 48.6% lead for the Core i5-12600. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,454 vs 2,400, a 49.1% lead for the Core i5-12600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,783 vs 10,400 (57.1% advantage for the Core i5-12600). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.3 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	13,029	21,383+64%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	2,400+65%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	10,400+80%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-12600 uses FP7/FP8 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus DDR5-4800 on the Core i5-12600 — the Core i5-12600 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-10400F) vs 20 (Core i5-12600) — the Core i5-12600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and B660,Z690 (Core i5-12600).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
Socket	LGA1200	FP7/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i5-12600 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i5-10400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming, Core i5-12600 targets Mainstream Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core i5-12600 rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i5-12600
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Mainstream Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i5-12600 debuted at $233. On MSRP ($160 vs $233), the Core i5-10400F is $73 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 91.8 pts/$ for the Core i5-12600 — making the Core i5-12600 the 11.9% better value option.