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: +3.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $323 MSRP).
✅Delivers 75.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 63.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $323 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 20,625).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11700

2021

Why buy it

✅+5.6% higher PassMark.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, 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 per dollar, at 63.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($323 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i7-11700

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $323 MSRP).
✅Delivers 75.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 63.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $323 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+5.6% higher PassMark.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 20,625).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700 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 per dollar, at 63.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($323 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i7-11700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 3.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11700 pulls ahead with 5.6% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11700 is the better fit. You are getting 5.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 $149 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $323 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i7-11700 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 5.6% better PassMark. It is also 75.8% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 63.9 PassMark/$), 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 i7-11700 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 2021) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. 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 i7-11700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
1080p
low	183 FPS	251 FPS
medium	168 FPS	236 FPS
high	139 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	219 FPS
medium	132 FPS	186 FPS
high	106 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	152 FPS
medium	81 FPS	130 FPS
high	64 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
1080p
low	471 FPS	401 FPS
medium	397 FPS	339 FPS
high	341 FPS	304 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	274 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	340 FPS
medium	351 FPS	295 FPS
high	309 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	231 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	236 FPS
medium	248 FPS	208 FPS
high	229 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	170 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
1080p
low	488 FPS	516 FPS
medium	488 FPS	516 FPS
high	488 FPS	453 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	390 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	516 FPS
medium	488 FPS	485 FPS
high	485 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	359 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	421 FPS
medium	389 FPS	363 FPS
high	337 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	270 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
1080p
low	488 FPS	516 FPS
medium	488 FPS	516 FPS
high	488 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	516 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	516 FPS
medium	488 FPS	516 FPS
high	488 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	516 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	516 FPS
medium	450 FPS	516 FPS
high	391 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	403 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i7-11700

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 i7-11700

The Core i7-11700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 20,625 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-11700 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-11700 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-11700 — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700 (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 i7-11700 uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i7-11700's 20,625 — a 5.4% lead for the Core i7-11700. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-11700.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.9 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
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)	Rocket Lake (2021)
PassMark	19,532	20,625+6%
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 i7-11700 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-11700 — the Core i5-12400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. 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 LGA1200 (Core i7-11700).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700). The Core i7-11700 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i7-11700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i7-11700 rivals Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11700
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 750
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i7-11700 debuted at $323. On MSRP ($174 vs $323), the Core i5-12400F is $149 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 63.9 pts/$ for the Core i7-11700 — making the Core i5-12400F the 55% better value option.