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

✅+16.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $815 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 412.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 13,985).

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅+13% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅120% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,459 vs 1,700).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅+16.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $815 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 412.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+13% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅120% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 13,985).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,459 vs 1,700).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 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 i9-9900X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 2.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900X pulls ahead with 13% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900X is the better fit. You are getting 13% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 20 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 $815 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $989 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-9900X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 13% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 412.7% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 21.9 PassMark/$), 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 2018) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066. 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 i9-9900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	183 FPS	178 FPS
medium	168 FPS	143 FPS
high	139 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	148 FPS
medium	132 FPS	117 FPS
high	106 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	69 FPS
high	64 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	471 FPS	516 FPS
medium	397 FPS	431 FPS
high	341 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	447 FPS
medium	351 FPS	384 FPS
high	309 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	279 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	278 FPS
medium	248 FPS	239 FPS
high	229 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	488 FPS	541 FPS
medium	488 FPS	541 FPS
high	488 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	527 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	541 FPS
medium	488 FPS	518 FPS
high	485 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	458 FPS
medium	389 FPS	363 FPS
high	337 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	488 FPS	541 FPS
medium	488 FPS	541 FPS
high	488 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	541 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	541 FPS
medium	488 FPS	541 FPS
high	488 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	541 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	541 FPS
medium	450 FPS	541 FPS
high	391 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-9900X

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 i9-9900X

The Core i9-9900X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 21,655 points. Launch price was $989.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-9900X offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-9900X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9900X — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900X (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-9900X uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-9900X's 21,655 — a 10.3% lead for the Core i9-9900X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 13,985 (12.2% advantage for the Core i9-9900X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,459, a 15.3% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 9,475 (174.1% advantage for the Core i9-9900X). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900X.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	19.25 MB (total)+7%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	19,532	21,655+11%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	13,985+13%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+17%	1,459
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	9,475+1342%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-9900X uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i9-9900X — 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. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 4 (Core i9-9900X). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 44 (Core i9-9900X) — the Core i9-9900X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and X299 (Core i9-9900X).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
Socket	LGA1700	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	44+120%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9900X). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i9-9900X debuted at $989. On MSRP ($174 vs $989), the Core i5-12400F is $815 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 21.9 pts/$ for the Core i9-9900X — making the Core i5-12400F the 134.7% better value option.