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 $226 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 110.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 53.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-11850HE.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11850HE across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 21,365).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11850HE

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 53.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i7-11850HE

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $226 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 110.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 53.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-11850HE.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W 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 i7-11850HE across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 21,365).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 53.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-11850HE better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Core i7-11850HE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.1% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 9.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-11850HE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.1% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11850HE is the better fit. You are getting 9.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 i7-11850HE is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i7-11850HE is 129.9% more expensive on MSRP at $400 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.1% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 110.2% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 53.4 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12400F 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 FCBGA1787. 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 i7-11850HE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	183 FPS	165 FPS
medium	168 FPS	145 FPS
high	139 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	141 FPS
medium	132 FPS	120 FPS
high	106 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	77 FPS
medium	81 FPS	71 FPS
high	64 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11850HE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	471 FPS	297 FPS
medium	397 FPS	257 FPS
high	341 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	196 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	255 FPS
medium	351 FPS	228 FPS
high	309 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	158 FPS
medium	248 FPS	143 FPS
high	229 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	119 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11850HE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	488 FPS	534 FPS
medium	488 FPS	534 FPS
high	488 FPS	524 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	419 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	534 FPS
medium	488 FPS	518 FPS
high	485 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	444 FPS
medium	389 FPS	375 FPS
high	337 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	268 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11850HE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	488 FPS	534 FPS
medium	488 FPS	534 FPS
high	488 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	534 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	534 FPS
medium	488 FPS	534 FPS
high	488 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	534 FPS
medium	450 FPS	482 FPS
high	391 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	373 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-11850HE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i7-11850HE

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 i7-11850HE

The Core i7-11850HE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 August 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,365 points. Launch price was $400.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-11850HE offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-11850HE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-11850HE — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-11850HE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-11850HE uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i7-11850HE's 21,365 — a 9% lead for the Core i7-11850HE. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,984, a 15.4% lead for the Core i7-11850HE that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11850HE.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	19,532	21,365+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	1,984+17%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-11850HE uses FCBGA1787 (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 i7-11850HE — 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 RM590E,QM580E (Core i7-11850HE).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1787
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

Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. The Core i7-11850HE 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 i7-11850HE targets Embedded/Industrial. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i7-11850HE rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-11850HE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Embedded/Industrial

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i7-11850HE debuted at $400. On MSRP ($174 vs $400), the Core i5-12400F is $226 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 53.4 pts/$ for the Core i7-11850HE — making the Core i5-12400F the 71% better value option.