Core i5-12400F vs EPYC 7303P

CPU

GPU

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 7303P

16 Cores32 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2023

Popular choices:

i5-12400F•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

36,487

+86.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

About PassMark

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: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $420 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Delivers 82.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 36,487).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7303P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7303P

2023

Why buy it

✅+86.8% higher PassMark.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

EPYC 7303P

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $420 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Delivers 82.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 130W, a 65W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+86.8% higher PassMark.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 36,487).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7303P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌100% higher power demand at 130W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on SP3 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 EPYC 7303P?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7303P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-12400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7303P is the better fit. You are getting 86.8% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 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 $420 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $594 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7303P is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 86.8% better PassMark. It is also 82.7% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 61.4 PassMark/$), 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?

EPYC 7303P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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

EPYC 7303P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	183 FPS	159 FPS
medium	168 FPS	130 FPS
high	139 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	141 FPS
medium	132 FPS	113 FPS
high	106 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	68 FPS
medium	81 FPS	57 FPS
high	64 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7303P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	471 FPS	390 FPS
medium	397 FPS	346 FPS
high	341 FPS	283 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	329 FPS
medium	351 FPS	297 FPS
high	309 FPS	251 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	192 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	203 FPS
medium	248 FPS	186 FPS
high	229 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	127 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7303P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	488 FPS	644 FPS
medium	488 FPS	526 FPS
high	488 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	411 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	499 FPS
medium	488 FPS	406 FPS
high	485 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	310 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	368 FPS
medium	389 FPS	286 FPS
high	337 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	197 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7303P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	488 FPS	885 FPS
medium	488 FPS	806 FPS
high	488 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	610 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	696 FPS
medium	488 FPS	608 FPS
high	488 FPS	521 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	498 FPS
medium	450 FPS	445 FPS
high	391 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	337 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7303P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and EPYC 7303P

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.

EPYC 7303P

The EPYC 7303P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 36,487 points. Launch price was $594.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 7303P offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7303P has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7303P — a 25.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 7303P uses Milan (2021−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the EPYC 7303P's 36,487 — a 60.5% lead for the EPYC 7303P. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7303P.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+29%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+4%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+256%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Milan (2021−2023)
PassMark	19,532	36,487+87%
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 EPYC 7303P uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus 3200 on the EPYC 7303P — the EPYC 7303P supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7303P supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 8 (EPYC 7303P). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 128 (EPYC 7303P) — the EPYC 7303P offers 108 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and SP3 (EPYC 7303P).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
Socket	LGA1700	SP3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	3200+63900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	128+540%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V, IOMMU (EPYC 7303P). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; EPYC 7303P rivals Xeon Gold 6330.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7303P
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V, IOMMU
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the EPYC 7303P debuted at $594. On MSRP ($174 vs $594), the Core i5-12400F is $420 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 61.4 pts/$ for the EPYC 7303P — making the Core i5-12400F the 58.5% better value option.