Core i5-12400F vs EPYC 9565

CPU

GPU

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 9565

72 Cores144 Thrd400 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2024

Popular choices:

i5-12400F•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

135,221

+592.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

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 $10,312 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $10,486 MSRP).
✅Delivers 770.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 12.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $10,486 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 400W, a 335W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9565.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9565 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 135,221).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9565, which brings 72 cores / 144 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 9565

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 144 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 12.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($10,486 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌515.4% higher power demand at 400W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

EPYC 9565

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $10,312 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $10,486 MSRP).
✅Delivers 770.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 12.9 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $10,486 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 400W, a 335W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9565.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 144 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 EPYC 9565 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 135,221).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9565, which brings 72 cores / 144 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.9 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($10,486 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌515.4% higher power demand at 400W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9565 better than Core i5-12400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9565 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 9565 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.6% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 384 MB vs 18 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9565 is the better fit. You are getting 592.3% better PassMark, backed by 72 cores and 144 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 2033.3% larger total L3 cache (384 MB vs 18 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

EPYC 9565 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9565 is 5926.4% more expensive on MSRP at $10,486 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 770.5% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 12.9 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

EPYC 9565 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 384 MB L3 cache instead of 18 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 72 cores / 144 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

EPYC 9565 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
1080p
low	183 FPS	171 FPS
medium	168 FPS	142 FPS
high	139 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	150 FPS
medium	132 FPS	120 FPS
high	106 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	69 FPS
high	64 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9565

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
1080p
low	471 FPS	583 FPS
medium	397 FPS	511 FPS
high	341 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	361 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	492 FPS
medium	351 FPS	439 FPS
high	309 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	302 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	306 FPS
medium	248 FPS	276 FPS
high	229 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	222 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9565

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
1080p
low	488 FPS	747 FPS
medium	488 FPS	634 FPS
high	488 FPS	575 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	561 FPS
medium	488 FPS	474 FPS
high	485 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	405 FPS
medium	389 FPS	324 FPS
high	337 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9565

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
1080p
low	488 FPS	969 FPS
medium	488 FPS	875 FPS
high	488 FPS	752 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	676 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	780 FPS
medium	488 FPS	683 FPS
high	488 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	513 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	551 FPS
medium	450 FPS	496 FPS
high	391 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	380 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9565

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and EPYC 9565

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 9565

The EPYC 9565 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 72 cores and 144 threads. Base frequency is 3.15 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 384 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 400 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 135,221 points. Launch price was $10,486.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 9565 offers 72 cores / 144 threads — the EPYC 9565 has 66 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.3 GHz on the EPYC 9565 — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.15 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 9565 uses Turin (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the EPYC 9565's 135,221 — a 149.5% lead for the EPYC 9565. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 384 MB (total) on the EPYC 9565.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	72 / 144+1100%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+2%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.15 GHz+26%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	384 MB (total)+2033%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Turin (2024)
PassMark	19,532	135,221+592%
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 9565 uses SP5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i5-12400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 6 TB — 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 12 (EPYC 9565). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 128 (EPYC 9565) — the EPYC 9565 offers 108 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and SP5 (EPYC 9565).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
Socket	LGA1700	SP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-6000
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	6 TB+4700%
RAM Channels	2	12+500%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	128+540%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9565). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, EPYC 9565 targets Data Center / Cloud Computing. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; EPYC 9565 rivals Xeon 6972P.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9565
Integrated GPU	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V, SEV-SNP
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Data Center / Cloud Computing

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the EPYC 9565 debuted at $10486. On MSRP ($174 vs $10486), the Core i5-12400F is $10312 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 12.9 pts/$ for the EPYC 9565 — making the Core i5-12400F the 158.8% better value option.