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

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-12600HE.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12600HE across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 22,827).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-12600HE mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12600HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-12600HE

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics 80EU, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-12600HE

2022

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-12600HE.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics 80EU, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12600HE across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 22,827).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-12600HE mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12600HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12600HE better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Core i5-12600HE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 16.9% better 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 i5-12600HE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.5% 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 i5-12600HE is the better fit. You are getting 16.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-12600HE is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i5-12600HE is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12600HE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 16 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 i5-12600HE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
1080p
low	183 FPS	168 FPS
medium	168 FPS	152 FPS
high	139 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	140 FPS
medium	132 FPS	120 FPS
high	106 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	77 FPS
medium	81 FPS	71 FPS
high	64 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600HE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
1080p
low	471 FPS	571 FPS
medium	397 FPS	502 FPS
high	341 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	380 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	502 FPS
medium	351 FPS	442 FPS
high	309 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	327 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	307 FPS
medium	248 FPS	273 FPS
high	229 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	223 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600HE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
1080p
low	488 FPS	571 FPS
medium	488 FPS	571 FPS
high	488 FPS	533 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	458 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	571 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	485 FPS	456 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	396 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	460 FPS
medium	389 FPS	371 FPS
high	337 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	271 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600HE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
1080p
low	488 FPS	571 FPS
medium	488 FPS	571 FPS
high	488 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	571 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	571 FPS
medium	488 FPS	571 FPS
high	488 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	513 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	522 FPS
medium	450 FPS	478 FPS
high	391 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	376 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600HE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12600HE

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 i5-12600HE

The Core i5-12600HE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,827 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-12600HE offers 12 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-12600HE has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i5-12600HE — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-12600HE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-12600HE uses Alder Lake-H (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i5-12600HE's 22,827 — a 15.6% lead for the Core i5-12600HE. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,200, a 25.6% lead for the Core i5-12600HE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 18 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 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-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Alder Lake-H (2022)
PassMark	19,532	22,827+17%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,200+29%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-12600HE uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i5-12400F 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 i5-12400F) vs 28 (Core i5-12600HE) — the Core i5-12600HE offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	LPDDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. The Core i5-12600HE includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe Graphics 80EU), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i5-12600HE targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i5-12600HE rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600HE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Iris Xe Graphics 80EU
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Embedded