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: +14.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $223 MSRP).
✅Delivers 43.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 78.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $223 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-12600T.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12600T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-12600T

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,427 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 78.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($223 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-12600T

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.8% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $223 MSRP).
✅Delivers 43.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 78.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $223 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-12600T.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12600T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,427 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 78.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($223 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 12.1% 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 i5-12400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.8% more average FPS across 6 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 12.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is $49 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $223 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.8% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 43.6% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 78.1 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12400F 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 i5-12600T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
1080p
low	183 FPS	183 FPS
medium	168 FPS	169 FPS
high	139 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	120 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	154 FPS
medium	132 FPS	133 FPS
high	106 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	88 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	64 FPS	65 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	50 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
1080p
low	471 FPS	272 FPS
medium	397 FPS	231 FPS
high	341 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	232 FPS
medium	351 FPS	201 FPS
high	309 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	155 FPS
medium	248 FPS	137 FPS
high	229 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	109 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
1080p
low	488 FPS	436 FPS
medium	488 FPS	436 FPS
high	488 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	436 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	436 FPS
medium	488 FPS	436 FPS
high	485 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	434 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	436 FPS
medium	389 FPS	395 FPS
high	337 FPS	340 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	277 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
1080p
low	488 FPS	436 FPS
medium	488 FPS	436 FPS
high	488 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	436 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	436 FPS
medium	488 FPS	436 FPS
high	488 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	436 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	436 FPS
medium	450 FPS	436 FPS
high	391 FPS	416 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	350 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-12600T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 i5-12600T

The Core i5-12600T 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 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: 17,427 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Core i5-12600T 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 i5-12600T — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-12600T (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 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 i5-12600T's 17,427 — a 11.4% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Both processors carry 18 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 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+12%	17,427
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

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 LGA1700 (Core i5-12600T).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
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	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12600T). The Core i5-12600T includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-12600T
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i5-12600T debuted at $223. On MSRP ($174 vs $223), the Core i5-12400F is $49 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 78.1 pts/$ for the Core i5-12600T — making the Core i5-12400F the 35.8% better value option.