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 $130 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $304 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-14600KF.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14600KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 24,700).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 127.2 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $304 MSRP).

Core i5-14600KF

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 13.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.2 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($304 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
74.7% HIGHER MSRP
$304 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i5-14600KF

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $304 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-14600KF.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 13.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.2 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($304 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-14600KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 24,700).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 127.2 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $304 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
74.7% HIGHER MSRP
$304 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-14600KF better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Core i5-14600KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 33.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 99.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 98.0% 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 i5-14600KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 33.1% 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 i5-14600KF is the better fit. You are getting 99.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Core i5-14600KF is the smarter buy today. Core i5-14600KF is 74.7% more expensive on MSRP at $304 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 33.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 13.3% better value on MSRP (127.2 vs 112.3 PassMark/$), 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 i5-14600KF is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 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 i5-14600KF Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
1080p
low	183 FPS	278 FPS
medium	168 FPS	263 FPS
high	139 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	232 FPS
medium	132 FPS	196 FPS
high	106 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	157 FPS
medium	81 FPS	132 FPS
high	64 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14600KF

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
1080p
low	471 FPS	712 FPS
medium	397 FPS	600 FPS
high	341 FPS	502 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	455 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	615 FPS
medium	351 FPS	542 FPS
high	309 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	358 FPS
medium	248 FPS	323 FPS
high	229 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	268 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14600KF

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
1080p
low	488 FPS	660 FPS
medium	488 FPS	540 FPS
high	488 FPS	475 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	412 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	599 FPS
medium	488 FPS	499 FPS
high	485 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	376 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	441 FPS
medium	389 FPS	380 FPS
high	337 FPS	344 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	294 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14600KF

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
1080p
low	488 FPS	967 FPS
medium	488 FPS	967 FPS
high	488 FPS	893 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	805 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	928 FPS
medium	488 FPS	823 FPS
high	488 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	630 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	630 FPS
medium	450 FPS	569 FPS
high	391 FPS	511 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i5-14600KF

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i5-14600KF

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 i5-14600KF

The Core i5-14600KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 October 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,664 points. Launch price was $294.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i5-14600KF offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i5-14600KF has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.3 GHz on the Core i5-14600KF — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-14600KF (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-14600KF uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i5-14600KF's 38,664 — a 65.8% lead for the Core i5-14600KF. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 24,700 (66.5% advantage for the Core i5-14600KF). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,900, a 52.2% lead for the Core i5-14600KF that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 18,000 (185.9% advantage for the Core i5-14600KF). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i5-14600KF.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 20+133%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.3 GHz+20%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	19,532	38,664+98%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	24,700+100%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,900+71%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	18,000+2640%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i5-14600KF supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. 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 Intel 700 Series,Intel 600 Series (Core i5-14600KF).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
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 Yes (Core i5-14600KF). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i5-14600KF targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i5-14600KF
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	Yes
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i5-14600KF debuted at $304. On MSRP ($174 vs $304), the Core i5-12400F is $130 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 127.2 pts/$ for the Core i5-14600KF — making the Core i5-14600KF the 12.5% better value option.