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: +17.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-12450HX.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-12450HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12450HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-12450HX

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics for 12th Gen, 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 (18,064 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-12450HX

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-12450HX.

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics for 12th Gen, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-12450HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12450HX 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 (18,064 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i5-12450HX?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 17.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 8.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-12400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.7% 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 i5-12400F is the better fit. You are getting 8.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is at an unclear MSRP at $174 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 17.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12450HX is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 i5-12450HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
1080p
low	183 FPS	169 FPS
medium	168 FPS	151 FPS
high	139 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	142 FPS
medium	132 FPS	122 FPS
high	106 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	80 FPS
medium	81 FPS	74 FPS
high	64 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12450HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
1080p
low	471 FPS	334 FPS
medium	397 FPS	285 FPS
high	341 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	232 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	293 FPS
medium	351 FPS	256 FPS
high	309 FPS	239 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	208 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	232 FPS
medium	248 FPS	208 FPS
high	229 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	169 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12450HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
1080p
low	488 FPS	452 FPS
medium	488 FPS	452 FPS
high	488 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	397 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	452 FPS
medium	488 FPS	452 FPS
high	485 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	359 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	410 FPS
medium	389 FPS	340 FPS
high	337 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12450HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
1080p
low	488 FPS	452 FPS
medium	488 FPS	452 FPS
high	488 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	452 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	452 FPS
medium	488 FPS	452 FPS
high	488 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	452 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	452 FPS
medium	450 FPS	432 FPS
high	391 FPS	381 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	333 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12450HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12450HX

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 i5-12450HX

The Core i5-12450HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 May 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,064 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-12450HX offers 8 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-12450HX has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12450HX — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-12450HX uses Alder Lake-HX (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i5-12450HX's 18,064 — a 7.8% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,150, a 23.4% lead for the Core i5-12450HX that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-12450HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 12+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+4%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+50%	12 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-HX (2022)
PassMark	19,532+8%	18,064
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,150+26%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-12450HX uses FCBGA1964 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. 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. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 48 (Core i5-12450HX) — the Core i5-12450HX offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and HM670,WM690 (Core i5-12450HX).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1964
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
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	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. The Core i5-12450HX includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics for 12th Gen), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i5-12450HX targets Workstation/Enthusiast Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i5-12450HX rivals Ryzen 5 7645HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12450HX
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics for 12th Gen
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Workstation/Enthusiast Laptop