Core i5-12400F vs Core i5-14400

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 $47 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-14400.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14400 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 25,329).

Core i5-14400

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌
27% HIGHER MSRP
$221 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-14400

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $47 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $221 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-14400.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14400 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 25,329).

Trade-offs

❌
27% HIGHER MSRP
$221 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-14400 better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Core i5-14400 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 29.7% 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 i5-14400 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 i5-14400 is the better fit. You are getting 29.7% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-14400 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-14400 is 27.0% more expensive on MSRP at $221 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 2.1% better value on MSRP (114.6 vs 112.3 PassMark/$), 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 i5-14400 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 10 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 i5-14400 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
1080p
low	183 FPS	170 FPS
medium	168 FPS	154 FPS
high	139 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	145 FPS
medium	132 FPS	126 FPS
high	106 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	82 FPS
medium	81 FPS	76 FPS
high	64 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
1080p
low	471 FPS	548 FPS
medium	397 FPS	466 FPS
high	341 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	457 FPS
medium	351 FPS	402 FPS
high	309 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	275 FPS
medium	248 FPS	244 FPS
high	229 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	202 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
1080p
low	488 FPS	633 FPS
medium	488 FPS	610 FPS
high	488 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	458 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	633 FPS
medium	488 FPS	548 FPS
high	485 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	411 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	494 FPS
medium	389 FPS	412 FPS
high	337 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	311 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
1080p
low	488 FPS	633 FPS
medium	488 FPS	633 FPS
high	488 FPS	633 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	596 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	633 FPS
medium	488 FPS	633 FPS
high	488 FPS	565 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	515 FPS
medium	450 FPS	471 FPS
high	391 FPS	418 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	363 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i5-14400

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 i5-14400

The Core i5-14400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 20 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: 25,329 points. Launch price was $221.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-14400 offers 10 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-14400 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i5-14400 — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-14400 (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 i5-14400 uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i5-14400's 25,329 — a 25.8% lead for the Core i5-14400. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-14400.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 16+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
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	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	19,532	25,329+30%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (Core i5-14400). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400
Integrated GPU	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i5-14400 debuted at $221. On MSRP ($174 vs $221), the Core i5-12400F is $47 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 114.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-14400 — making the Core i5-14400 the 2.1% better value option.