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

✅Costs $76 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 81.5 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,700 vs 1,800).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 12,500).

Core i5-12490F

2022

Why buy it

✅+5.9% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.5 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-12490F

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $76 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 81.5 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+5.9% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,700 vs 1,800).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 12,500).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 81.5 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12490F better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Core i5-12490F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.5% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 4.3% 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 i5-12490F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.5% 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 i5-12490F is the better fit. You are getting 1% 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 i5-12490F is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i5-12490F is 43.7% more expensive on MSRP at $250 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.5% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 37.8% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 81.5 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12490F 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 i5-12490F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
1080p
low	183 FPS	172 FPS
medium	168 FPS	148 FPS
high	139 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	147 FPS
medium	132 FPS	123 FPS
high	106 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	80 FPS
medium	81 FPS	72 FPS
high	64 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12490F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
1080p
low	471 FPS	475 FPS
medium	397 FPS	404 FPS
high	341 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	300 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	414 FPS
medium	351 FPS	360 FPS
high	309 FPS	313 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	278 FPS
medium	248 FPS	246 FPS
high	229 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12490F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
1080p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	488 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	502 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	498 FPS
high	485 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	393 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	418 FPS
medium	389 FPS	351 FPS
high	337 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	247 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12490F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
1080p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	488 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	509 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	488 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	509 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	450 FPS	499 FPS
high	391 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	377 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12490F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12490F

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 i5-12490F

The Core i5-12490F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 20,366 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12490F share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-12490F — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-12490F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3 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 i5-12490F's 20,366 — a 4.2% lead for the Core i5-12490F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 12,500 (1% advantage for the Core i5-12490F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,800, a 5.7% lead for the Core i5-12490F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 8,800 (172.2% advantage for the Core i5-12490F). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-12490F.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	20 MB (total)+11%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	19,532	20,366+4%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	12,500
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	1,800+6%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	8,800+1239%

🧠

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 B660,H610,H670,Z690,B760 (Core i5-12490F).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
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. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i5-12490F targets Gaming Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i5-12490F rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12490F
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Gaming Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i5-12490F debuted at $250. On MSRP ($174 vs $250), the Core i5-12400F is $76 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 81.5 pts/$ for the Core i5-12490F — making the Core i5-12400F the 31.8% better value option.