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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-12800H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12800H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 24,119).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i7-12800H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Core i7-12800H

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +62.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i7-12800H

2022

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-12800H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +62.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12800H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 24,119).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $160 MSRP, while Core i7-12800H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12800H better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i7-12800H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 62.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 85.1% better 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 i7-12800H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 62.0% 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 i7-12800H is the better fit. You are getting 85.1% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-12800H is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i7-12800H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 62.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core i7-12800H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 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 i7-12800H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-12800H
1080p
low	192 FPS	267 FPS
medium	152 FPS	257 FPS
high	123 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	229 FPS
medium	119 FPS	197 FPS
high	97 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	159 FPS
medium	70 FPS	136 FPS
high	55 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-12800H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-12800H
1080p
low	326 FPS	578 FPS
medium	318 FPS	490 FPS
high	290 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	381 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	477 FPS
medium	292 FPS	420 FPS
high	267 FPS	365 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	319 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	293 FPS
medium	258 FPS	261 FPS
high	235 FPS	246 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-12800H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-12800H
1080p
low	326 FPS	603 FPS
medium	326 FPS	603 FPS
high	326 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	462 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	603 FPS
medium	326 FPS	554 FPS
high	326 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	498 FPS
medium	326 FPS	416 FPS
high	289 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	314 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-12800H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-12800H
1080p
low	326 FPS	603 FPS
medium	326 FPS	603 FPS
high	326 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	602 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	603 FPS
medium	326 FPS	603 FPS
high	326 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	497 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	524 FPS
medium	326 FPS	475 FPS
high	326 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	367 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i7-12800H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i7-12800H

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 i7-12800H

The Core i7-12800H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,119 points. Launch price was $457.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-12800H offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-12800H has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-12800H — a 11% clock advantage for the Core i7-12800H (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-12800H uses Alder Lake-H (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i7-12800H's 24,119 — a 59.7% lead for the Core i7-12800H. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-12800H.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-12800H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 20+133%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+21%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+100%
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-H (2022)
PassMark	13,029	24,119+85%
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,191	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,454	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,783	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10400F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-12800H uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i7-12800H
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-10400F) / not specified (Core i7-12800H). Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600.