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: +15.2% higher average FPS across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $135 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅Delivers 145.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 45.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i9-10900TE

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,159 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($309 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌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 i9-10900TE

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.2% higher average FPS across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $135 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅Delivers 145.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 45.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 20 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,159 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($309 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌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 i9-10900TE?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 15.2% average FPS lead across 20 shared CPU game tests in our data, 37.9% 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 15.2% more average FPS across 20 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 37.9% 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 $135 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $309 MSRP, and it gives you a 15.2% average FPS lead across 20 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 145.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 45.8 PassMark/$), 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 i9-10900TE 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 10/20. 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 i9-10900TE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	183 FPS	163 FPS
medium	168 FPS	144 FPS
high	139 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	138 FPS
medium	132 FPS	118 FPS
high	106 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	75 FPS
medium	81 FPS	69 FPS
high	64 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-10900TE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	471 FPS	267 FPS
medium	397 FPS	230 FPS
high	341 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	230 FPS
medium	351 FPS	203 FPS
high	309 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	153 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	143 FPS
medium	248 FPS	126 FPS
high	229 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	104 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-10900TE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	488 FPS	354 FPS
medium	488 FPS	354 FPS
high	488 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	354 FPS
medium	488 FPS	354 FPS
high	485 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	354 FPS
medium	389 FPS	345 FPS
high	337 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	254 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-10900TE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
1080p
low	488 FPS	354 FPS
medium	488 FPS	354 FPS
high	488 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	354 FPS
medium	488 FPS	354 FPS
high	488 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	354 FPS
medium	450 FPS	354 FPS
high	391 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	354 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-10900TE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-10900TE

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 i9-10900TE

The Core i9-10900TE 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 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,159 points. Launch price was $488.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-10900TE offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-10900TE has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-10900TE — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900TE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-10900TE uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-10900TE's 14,159 — a 31.9% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 20 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900TE.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+39%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	20 MB (total)+11%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	19,532+38%	14,159
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 i9-10900TE uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
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 i9-10900TE). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-10900TE
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 i9-10900TE debuted at $309. On MSRP ($174 vs $309), the Core i5-12400F is $135 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 45.8 pts/$ for the Core i9-10900TE — making the Core i5-12400F the 84% better value option.