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 i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $18 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 7,800).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12400T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-12400T

2022

Why buy it

✅+1087.2% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 730, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.0 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-12400T

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $18 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
✅Delivers 38.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 81.0 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+1087.2% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 730, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 7,800).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12400T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.0 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400T better than Core i5-12400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 33.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400T pulls ahead with 1087.2% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400T is the better fit. You are getting 1087.2% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-12400T is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i5-12400T is 10.3% more expensive on MSRP at $192 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you 1087.2% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Core i5-12400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 33.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 38.7% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 81.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12400T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12400T
1080p
low	183 FPS	182 FPS
medium	168 FPS	167 FPS
high	139 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	152 FPS
medium	132 FPS	131 FPS
high	106 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	72 FPS
medium	81 FPS	65 FPS
high	64 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	41 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12400T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12400T
1080p
low	471 FPS	232 FPS
medium	397 FPS	203 FPS
high	341 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	154 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	203 FPS
medium	351 FPS	179 FPS
high	309 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	142 FPS
medium	248 FPS	128 FPS
high	229 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	103 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12400T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12400T
1080p
low	488 FPS	389 FPS
medium	488 FPS	389 FPS
high	488 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	389 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	389 FPS
medium	488 FPS	389 FPS
high	485 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	389 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	389 FPS
medium	389 FPS	378 FPS
high	337 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	267 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12400T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12400T
1080p
low	488 FPS	389 FPS
medium	488 FPS	389 FPS
high	488 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	389 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	389 FPS
medium	488 FPS	389 FPS
high	488 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	389 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	389 FPS
medium	450 FPS	389 FPS
high	391 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	300 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12400T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12400T

Core i5-12400F

The Core i5-12400F 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: 19,532 points. Launch price was $180.

Core i5-12400T

The Core i5-12400T 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 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 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): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 15,543 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12400T share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.2 GHz on the Core i5-12400T — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). Both are built on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture using a Intel 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i5-12400T's 15,543 — a 22.7% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,650, a 3% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 7,800 (168.9% advantage for the Core i5-12400T). Both processors carry 18 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12400T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+5%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+39%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	19,532+26%	15,543
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+3%	1,650
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	7,800+1087%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. 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 i5-12400F) and H610,B660,H670,Z690 (Core i5-12400T).

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

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. The Core i5-12400T includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 730), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i5-12400T targets Office/Home Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12400T
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel UHD Graphics 730
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Office/Home Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400T debuted at $192. On MSRP ($174 vs $192), the Core i5-12400F is $18 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 81.0 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400T — making the Core i5-12400F the 32.4% better value option.