Core i5-12400F vs Core i5-14400T

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: +12.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-14400T.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 20,911).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-14400T mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i5-14400T

2024

Why buy it

✅+7.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-14400T

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-14400T.

Why buy it

✅+7.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 20,911).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-14400T mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

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

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 12.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-14400T pulls ahead with 7.1% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-14400T is the better fit. You are getting 7.1% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-14400T is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i5-14400T is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you 7.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-12400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 12.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-14400T 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 i5-14400T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400T
1080p
low	183 FPS	170 FPS
medium	168 FPS	153 FPS
high	139 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	144 FPS
medium	132 FPS	125 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	60 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400T
1080p
low	471 FPS	306 FPS
medium	397 FPS	261 FPS
high	341 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	198 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	257 FPS
medium	351 FPS	227 FPS
high	309 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	169 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	156 FPS
medium	248 FPS	140 FPS
high	229 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	116 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400T
1080p
low	488 FPS	523 FPS
medium	488 FPS	517 FPS
high	488 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	418 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	523 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	485 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	371 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	432 FPS
medium	389 FPS	355 FPS
high	337 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	263 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400T
1080p
low	488 FPS	523 FPS
medium	488 FPS	523 FPS
high	488 FPS	523 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	523 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	523 FPS
medium	488 FPS	523 FPS
high	488 FPS	523 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	493 FPS
medium	450 FPS	452 FPS
high	391 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	350 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14400T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 i5-14400T

The Core i5-14400T 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 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 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): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 20,911 points. Launch price was $221.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-14400T offers 10 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-14400T has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i5-14400T — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-14400T (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-14400T uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i5-14400T's 20,911 — a 6.8% lead for the Core i5-14400T. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-14400T.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14400T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 16+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+67%	1.5 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	20,911+7%
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 i5-14400T
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	—

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Advanced Features

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