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 $334 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 72.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-12900F.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-12900F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 35,873).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i9-12900F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i9-12900F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +64.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 72.6 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Core i5-10400F

2020

Core i9-12900F

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $334 less on MSRP ($160 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Delivers 12.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 81.4 vs 72.6 PassMark/$ ($160 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-12900F.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +64.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 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 i9-12900F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,029 vs 35,873).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i9-12900F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 72.6 vs 81.4 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $160 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-10400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-12900F better than Core i5-10400F?

Yes. Core i9-12900F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 64.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 175.3% 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 i9-12900F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 64.3% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900F is the better fit. You are getting 175.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-12900F is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-10400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-12900F is 208.8% more expensive on MSRP at $494 MSRP versus $160 MSRP, and it gives you a 64.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-10400F is also 12.1% better value on MSRP (81.4 vs 72.6 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-10400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i9-12900F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 150% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 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 i9-12900F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
1080p
low	192 FPS	269 FPS
medium	152 FPS	259 FPS
high	123 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	230 FPS
medium	119 FPS	198 FPS
high	97 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	140 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 i9-12900F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
1080p
low	326 FPS	616 FPS
medium	318 FPS	526 FPS
high	290 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	399 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	531 FPS
medium	292 FPS	470 FPS
high	267 FPS	397 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	340 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	310 FPS
medium	258 FPS	281 FPS
high	235 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-12900F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
1080p
low	326 FPS	775 FPS
medium	326 FPS	619 FPS
high	326 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	462 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	692 FPS
medium	326 FPS	560 FPS
high	326 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	416 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	498 FPS
medium	326 FPS	418 FPS
high	289 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	319 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-12900F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
1080p
low	326 FPS	894 FPS
medium	326 FPS	809 FPS
high	326 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	626 FPS
1440p
low	326 FPS	765 FPS
medium	326 FPS	681 FPS
high	326 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	517 FPS
4K
low	326 FPS	524 FPS
medium	326 FPS	475 FPS
high	326 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	369 FPS

Open Core i5-10400F Open Core i9-12900F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10400F and Core i9-12900F

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 i9-12900F

The Core i9-12900F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 35,873 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-12900F offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i9-12900F has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-10400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-12900F — a 17% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900F (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-10400F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-12900F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-10400F scores 13,029 against the Core i9-12900F's 35,873 — a 93.4% lead for the Core i9-12900F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-10400F vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900F.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 24+167%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	5.1 GHz+19%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+21%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+150%
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	35,873+175%
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 i9-12900F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-10400F versus 4800 on the Core i9-12900F — the Core i9-12900F supports 199.7% 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 i9-12900F) — the Core i9-12900F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H410,B460,H470,Z490,H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i5-10400F) and Z690,B660 (Core i9-12900F).

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	4800+119900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Core i5-10400F targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-10400F rivals Ryzen 5 3600; Core i9-12900F rivals Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	Core i5-10400F	Core i9-12900F
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-10400F launched at $160 MSRP, while the Core i9-12900F debuted at $494. On MSRP ($160 vs $494), the Core i5-10400F is $334 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10400F delivers 81.4 pts/$ vs 72.6 pts/$ for the Core i9-12900F — making the Core i5-10400F the 11.4% better value option.