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: +18.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600H.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $209 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 5600H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Ryzen 5 5600H

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (10,126 vs 12,400).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400.

Core i5-12400

2022

Ryzen 5 5600H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600H.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $209 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 5600H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (10,126 vs 12,400).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400 better than Ryzen 5 5600H?

Yes. Core i5-12400 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 22.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 13.7% 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 18.0% more average FPS across 50 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 22.5% better Cinebench R23 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 at an unclear MSRP at $209 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 18.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (89.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12400 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 FP6, 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 i5-12400 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
1080p
low	183 FPS	181 FPS
medium	168 FPS	143 FPS
high	139 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	147 FPS
medium	132 FPS	115 FPS
high	106 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	68 FPS
medium	81 FPS	56 FPS
high	64 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Ryzen 5 5600H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
1080p
low	470 FPS	341 FPS
medium	397 FPS	290 FPS
high	341 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	223 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	304 FPS
medium	351 FPS	264 FPS
high	309 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	204 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	241 FPS
medium	248 FPS	212 FPS
high	229 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	166 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Ryzen 5 5600H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
1080p
low	470 FPS	413 FPS
medium	470 FPS	413 FPS
high	470 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	470 FPS	413 FPS
medium	470 FPS	413 FPS
high	470 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	371 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	413 FPS
medium	389 FPS	328 FPS
high	337 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Ryzen 5 5600H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
1080p
low	470 FPS	413 FPS
medium	470 FPS	413 FPS
high	470 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	470 FPS	413 FPS
medium	470 FPS	413 FPS
high	470 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	470 FPS	413 FPS
medium	450 FPS	413 FPS
high	391 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	347 FPS

Open Core i5-12400 Open Ryzen 5 5600H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400 and Ryzen 5 5600H

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.

Ryzen 5 5600H

The Ryzen 5 5600H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 3 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 16,533 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400 and Ryzen 5 5600H share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600H — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-12400 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600H uses Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400 scores 18,794 against the Ryzen 5 5600H's 16,533 — a 12.8% lead for the Core i5-12400. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,400 vs 10,126 (20.2% advantage for the Core i5-12400). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,381 vs 1,764, a 29.8% lead for the Core i5-12400 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,632 vs 7,678 (32.3% advantage for the Core i5-12400). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400 vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600H.

Feature	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+5%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	3 MB+140%
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	18,794+14%	16,533
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,400+22%	10,126
Geekbench 6 Single	2,381+35%	1,764
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,632+38%	7,678

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600H uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400 versus DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266 on the Ryzen 5 5600H — the Core i5-12400 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-12400 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400) vs 16 (Ryzen 5 5600H) — the Core i5-12400 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
Socket	LGA1700	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600H). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 730 (Core i5-12400) and Radeon Graphics (7-core) (Ryzen 5 5600H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400 targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 5 5600H targets Gaming Laptops. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400 rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 5 5600H rivals Core i5-11400H.

Feature	Core i5-12400	Ryzen 5 5600H
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 730	Radeon Graphics (7-core)
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Gaming Laptops