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: +136.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $825 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1471.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 7.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-990X

2011

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,135 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i7-990X

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +136.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $825 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1471.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 7.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,135 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i7-990X?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 136.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 173.7% 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 136.6% 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 173.7% 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 $825 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it gives you a 136.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1471.7% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 7.1 PassMark/$), 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 2011), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1366, 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 i7-990X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	183 FPS	168 FPS
medium	168 FPS	143 FPS
high	139 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	141 FPS
medium	132 FPS	118 FPS
high	106 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	64 FPS
medium	81 FPS	57 FPS
high	64 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-990X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	471 FPS	178 FPS
medium	397 FPS	178 FPS
high	341 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	178 FPS
medium	351 FPS	164 FPS
high	309 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	163 FPS
medium	248 FPS	143 FPS
high	229 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	95 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-990X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	488 FPS	178 FPS
medium	488 FPS	178 FPS
high	488 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	178 FPS
medium	488 FPS	178 FPS
high	485 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	178 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	178 FPS
medium	389 FPS	178 FPS
high	337 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	178 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-990X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
1080p
low	488 FPS	178 FPS
medium	488 FPS	178 FPS
high	488 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	178 FPS
medium	488 FPS	178 FPS
high	488 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	178 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	178 FPS
medium	450 FPS	178 FPS
high	391 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	178 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i7-990X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i7-990X

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 i7-990X

The Core i7-990X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.46 GHz, with boost up to 3.73 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 7,135 points. Launch price was $1,104.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Core i7-990X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.73 GHz on the Core i7-990X — a 16.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.46 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i7-990X uses Gulftown (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i7-990X's 7,135 — a 93% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-990X.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+18%	3.73 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.46 GHz+38%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+50%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-78%	32 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Gulftown (2010−2011)
PassMark	19,532+174%	7,135
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 i7-990X uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
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 i7-990X). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-990X
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 i7-990X debuted at $999. On MSRP ($174 vs $999), the Core i5-12400F is $825 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 7.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-990X — making the Core i5-12400F the 176.1% better value option.