Core i5-12400F vs EPYC 7401

CPU

GPU

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 7401

24 Cores48 Thrd155 WWMax: 3 GHz2017

Popular choices:

i5-12400F•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

55,280

+183.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

Ryzen 7 7700X

Ryzen 7 8840HX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

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

✅Costs $1,326 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 204.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 36.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 7401.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 55,280).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7401

2017

Why buy it

✅+183% higher PassMark.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅540% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

EPYC 7401

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,326 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 204.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 36.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 7401.

Why buy it

✅+183% higher PassMark.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 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 55,280).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 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 7401?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7401 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 7401 is the better fit. You are getting 183% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 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 $1,326 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7401 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 183% better PassMark. It is also 204.6% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 36.9 PassMark/$), 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 2017) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of TR4. 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

EPYC 7401 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	183 FPS	187 FPS
medium	168 FPS	165 FPS
high	139 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	153 FPS
medium	132 FPS	127 FPS
high	106 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	71 FPS
medium	81 FPS	63 FPS
high	64 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7401

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	471 FPS	207 FPS
medium	397 FPS	188 FPS
high	341 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	131 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	178 FPS
medium	351 FPS	163 FPS
high	309 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	112 FPS
medium	248 FPS	103 FPS
high	229 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	75 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7401

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	488 FPS	620 FPS
medium	488 FPS	518 FPS
high	488 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	399 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	517 FPS
medium	488 FPS	432 FPS
high	485 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	325 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	383 FPS
medium	389 FPS	308 FPS
high	337 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7401

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	488 FPS	834 FPS
medium	488 FPS	758 FPS
high	488 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	667 FPS
medium	488 FPS	584 FPS
high	488 FPS	500 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	475 FPS
medium	450 FPS	427 FPS
high	391 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	320 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 7401

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and EPYC 7401

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 7401

The EPYC 7401 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 55,280 points. Launch price was $1,850.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 7401 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the EPYC 7401 has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3 GHz on the EPYC 7401 — a 37.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 7401 uses Naples (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the EPYC 7401's 55,280 — a 95.6% lead for the EPYC 7401. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7401.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	24 / 48+300%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+47%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+25%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+256%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Naples (2017−2018)
PassMark	19,532	55,280+183%
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 7401 uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus 2666 on the EPYC 7401 — the EPYC 7401 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7401 supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 8 (EPYC 7401). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 128 (EPYC 7401) — the EPYC 7401 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 7401).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
Socket	LGA1700	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	2666+53220%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+6553500%	2048
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 VT-x, VT-d (EPYC 7401). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; EPYC 7401 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 7401
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
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 EPYC 7401 debuted at $1500. On MSRP ($174 vs $1500), the Core i5-12400F is $1326 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 36.9 pts/$ for the EPYC 7401 — making the Core i5-12400F the 101.1% better value option.