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

✅+6.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $231 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $405 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 45.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $405 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i7-10700KF

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,380 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($405 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i7-10700KF

2020

Why buy it

✅+6.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $231 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $405 MSRP).
✅Delivers 147.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 45.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $405 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,380 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($405 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i7-10700KF?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-10700KF is ahead with a 8.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400F pulls ahead with 6.3% better PassMark.

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 6.3% 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 $231 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $405 MSRP, and it gives you 6.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-10700KF is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 147.3% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 45.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i7-10700KF can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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 a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i7-10700KF Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
1080p
low	183 FPS	302 FPS
medium	168 FPS	265 FPS
high	139 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	247 FPS
medium	132 FPS	195 FPS
high	106 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	170 FPS
medium	81 FPS	136 FPS
high	64 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10700KF

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
1080p
low	471 FPS	460 FPS
medium	397 FPS	460 FPS
high	341 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	407 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	460 FPS
medium	351 FPS	460 FPS
high	309 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	400 FPS
medium	248 FPS	342 FPS
high	229 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10700KF

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
1080p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	488 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	485 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	460 FPS
medium	389 FPS	460 FPS
high	337 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10700KF

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
1080p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	488 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	488 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	450 FPS	460 FPS
high	391 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10700KF

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i7-10700KF

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 i7-10700KF

The Core i7-10700KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 18,380 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-10700KF offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-10700KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i7-10700KF — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-10700KF (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-10700KF uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i7-10700KF's 18,380 — a 6.1% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-10700KF.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	19,532+6%	18,380
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-10700KF uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
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 i7-10700KF). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10700KF
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 i7-10700KF debuted at $405. On MSRP ($174 vs $405), the Core i5-12400F is $231 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 45.4 pts/$ for the Core i7-10700KF — making the Core i5-12400F the 84.8% better value option.