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: +96.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $241 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $415 MSRP).
✅Delivers 404.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 22.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $415 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1528 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌160% higher power demand at 65W vs 25W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-10710U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-10710U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 25W instead of 65W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,240 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($415 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1528 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i7-10710U

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $241 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $415 MSRP).
✅Delivers 404.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 22.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $415 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1528 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Draws 25W instead of 65W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌160% higher power demand at 65W vs 25W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-10710U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,240 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($415 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1528 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i7-10710U?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 96.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 111.4% 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 96.3% 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 i5-12400F is the better fit. You are getting 111.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is $241 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $415 MSRP, and it gives you a 96.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 404.2% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 22.3 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1528, 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 i7-10710U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
1080p
low	183 FPS	189 FPS
medium	168 FPS	154 FPS
high	139 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	151 FPS
medium	132 FPS	120 FPS
high	106 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	85 FPS
medium	81 FPS	73 FPS
high	64 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10710U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
1080p
low	471 FPS	217 FPS
medium	397 FPS	180 FPS
high	341 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	146 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	194 FPS
medium	351 FPS	162 FPS
high	309 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	163 FPS
medium	248 FPS	137 FPS
high	229 FPS	130 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	109 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10710U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
1080p
low	488 FPS	231 FPS
medium	488 FPS	231 FPS
high	488 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	231 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	231 FPS
medium	488 FPS	231 FPS
high	485 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	231 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	231 FPS
medium	389 FPS	231 FPS
high	337 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10710U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
1080p
low	488 FPS	231 FPS
medium	488 FPS	231 FPS
high	488 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	231 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	231 FPS
medium	488 FPS	231 FPS
high	488 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	231 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	231 FPS
medium	450 FPS	231 FPS
high	391 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-10710U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i7-10710U

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 i7-10710U

The Core i7-10710U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,240 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Core i7-10710U share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-10710U — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-10710U (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-10710U uses Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i7-10710U's 9,240 — a 71.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-10710U.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+127%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+50%	12 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-U (2019−2020)
PassMark	19,532+111%	9,240
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 i7-10710U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus LPDDR3-2133 on the Core i7-10710U — the Core i5-12400F supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-12400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 16 (Core i7-10710U) — the Core i5-12400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+67%	LPDDR3-2133
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-10710U). The Core i7-10710U includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i7-10710U targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-10710U
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Mobile

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i7-10710U debuted at $415. On MSRP ($174 vs $415), the Core i5-12400F is $241 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 22.3 pts/$ for the Core i7-10710U — making the Core i5-12400F the 133.8% better value option.