Core i5-12400F vs EPYC 9755

CPU

GPU

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 9755

128 Cores256 Thrd500 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2024

Popular choices:

i5-12400F•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

166,328

+751.6%

Ryzen 7 9700X

Ryzen 9 9900X3D

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

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 $12,810 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $12,984 MSRP).
✅Delivers 776.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 12.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $12,984 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 500W, a 435W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9755.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 9755 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 29,300).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9755, which brings 128 cores / 256 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 9755

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 128 cores / 256 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 12.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($12,984 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌669.2% higher power demand at 500W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

EPYC 9755

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $12,810 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $12,984 MSRP).
✅Delivers 776.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 12.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $12,984 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 500W, a 435W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike EPYC 9755.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 128 cores / 256 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 9755 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 29,300).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9755, which brings 128 cores / 256 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($12,984 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌669.2% higher power demand at 500W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 9755 better than Core i5-12400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9755 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 9755 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.1% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 512 MB vs 18 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 9755 is the better fit. You are getting 4359.7% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 128 cores and 256 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 2744.4% larger total L3 cache (512 MB vs 18 MB).

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

EPYC 9755 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 9755 is 7362.1% more expensive on MSRP at $12,984 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 776.3% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 12.8 PassMark/$), 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 9755 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 512 MB L3 cache instead of 18 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 128 cores / 256 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 9755 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
1080p
low	183 FPS	170 FPS
medium	168 FPS	141 FPS
high	139 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	148 FPS
medium	132 FPS	119 FPS
high	106 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	69 FPS
medium	81 FPS	59 FPS
high	64 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9755

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
1080p
low	471 FPS	581 FPS
medium	397 FPS	510 FPS
high	341 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	361 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	489 FPS
medium	351 FPS	437 FPS
high	309 FPS	365 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	302 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	304 FPS
medium	248 FPS	275 FPS
high	229 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9755

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
1080p
low	488 FPS	741 FPS
medium	488 FPS	632 FPS
high	488 FPS	574 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	505 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	558 FPS
medium	488 FPS	473 FPS
high	485 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	403 FPS
medium	389 FPS	324 FPS
high	337 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9755

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
1080p
low	488 FPS	915 FPS
medium	488 FPS	830 FPS
high	488 FPS	715 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	632 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	726 FPS
medium	488 FPS	633 FPS
high	488 FPS	542 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	469 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	524 FPS
medium	450 FPS	468 FPS
high	391 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	352 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open EPYC 9755

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and EPYC 9755

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 9755

The EPYC 9755 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 October 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Turin (2024) architecture. It features 128 cores and 256 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 512 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 500 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 166,328 points. Launch price was $12,984.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the EPYC 9755 offers 128 cores / 256 threads — the EPYC 9755 has 122 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.1 GHz on the EPYC 9755 — a 7.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 9755 uses Turin (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the EPYC 9755's 166,328 — a 158% lead for the EPYC 9755. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,800, a 48.9% lead for the EPYC 9755 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 29,300 (191.2% advantage for the EPYC 9755). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 512 MB (total) on the EPYC 9755.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	128 / 256+2033%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+7%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.7 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	512 MB (total)+2744%
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	166,328+752%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,800+65%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	29,300+4360%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 9755 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 9 TB — 173.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 12 (EPYC 9755). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 128 (EPYC 9755) — the EPYC 9755 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 9755).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
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	9 TB+7100%
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 9755). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, EPYC 9755 targets Data Center / Cloud Computing. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; EPYC 9755 rivals Xeon 6980P.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	EPYC 9755
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 9755 debuted at $12984. On MSRP ($174 vs $12984), the Core i5-12400F is $12810 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 12.8 pts/$ for the EPYC 9755 — making the Core i5-12400F the 159% better value option.