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 i5-12400

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($209 MSRP vs $439 MSRP).
✅Delivers 112.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.9 vs 42.4 PassMark/$ ($209 MSRP vs $439 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i9-11900T

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,200 vs 10,632).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.4 vs 89.9 PassMark/$ ($439 MSRP vs $209 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12400

2022

Core i9-11900T

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($209 MSRP vs $439 MSRP).
✅Delivers 112.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.9 vs 42.4 PassMark/$ ($209 MSRP vs $439 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,200 vs 10,632).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.4 vs 89.9 PassMark/$ ($439 MSRP vs $209 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400 better than Core i9-11900T?

Yes. Core i5-12400 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 15.6% better Geekbench multi-core, 0.9% 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 i5-12400 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.1% 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 i5-12400 is the better fit. You are getting 15.6% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-12400 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400 is $230 cheaper on MSRP at $209 MSRP versus $439 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 112.0% better value on MSRP (89.9 vs 42.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i9-11900T can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Core i5-12400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i5-12400 Benchmark Check

Core i9-11900T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
1080p
low	183 FPS	286 FPS
medium	168 FPS	256 FPS
high	139 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	235 FPS
medium	132 FPS	189 FPS
high	106 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	164 FPS
medium	81 FPS	133 FPS
high	64 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Core i9-11900T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
1080p
low	470 FPS	285 FPS
medium	397 FPS	234 FPS
high	341 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	242 FPS
medium	351 FPS	207 FPS
high	309 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	160 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	169 FPS
medium	248 FPS	148 FPS
high	229 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Core i9-11900T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
1080p
low	470 FPS	466 FPS
medium	470 FPS	466 FPS
high	470 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	466 FPS
1440p
low	470 FPS	466 FPS
medium	470 FPS	466 FPS
high	470 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	430 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	466 FPS
medium	389 FPS	442 FPS
high	337 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	324 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Core i9-11900T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
1080p
low	470 FPS	466 FPS
medium	470 FPS	466 FPS
high	470 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	466 FPS
1440p
low	470 FPS	466 FPS
medium	470 FPS	466 FPS
high	470 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	466 FPS
4K
low	470 FPS	466 FPS
medium	450 FPS	466 FPS
high	391 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	423 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Core i9-11900T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400 and Core i9-11900T

Core i5-12400

The Core i5-12400 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 18 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: 18,794 points. Launch price was $299.

Core i9-11900T

The Core i9-11900T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 18,620 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-11900T offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-11900T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400 versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i9-11900T — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900T (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-11900T uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400 scores 18,794 against the Core i9-11900T's 18,620 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i5-12400. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,381 vs 2,100, a 12.5% lead for the Core i5-12400 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,632 vs 9,200 (14.4% advantage for the Core i5-12400). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400 vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900T.

Feature	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.9 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+67%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Rocket Lake (2021)
PassMark	18,794	18,620
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,400	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,381+13%	2,100
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,632+16%	9,200

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-11900T uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400 versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i9-11900T — the Core i5-12400 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. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400) and H510,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i9-11900T).

Feature	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-11900T). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 730 (Core i5-12400) and Intel UHD Graphics 750 (Core i9-11900T) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400 targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i9-11900T targets Low Power High Perf Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400 rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400	Core i9-11900T
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 730	Intel UHD Graphics 750
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Low Power High Perf Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400 launched at $209 MSRP, while the Core i9-11900T debuted at $439. On MSRP ($209 vs $439), the Core i5-12400 is $230 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400 delivers 89.9 pts/$ vs 42.4 pts/$ for the Core i9-11900T — making the Core i5-12400 the 71.8% better value option.