Core i5-12400F vs FX-9590

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: +48.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $176 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 285.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 29.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 220W, a 155W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM3+ and older memory support.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

FX-9590

2013

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,194 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 29.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌238.5% higher power demand at 220W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM3+, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12400F

2022

FX-9590

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +48.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $176 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 285.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 29.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 220W, a 155W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM3+ and older memory support.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,194 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 29.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌238.5% higher power demand at 220W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM3+, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than FX-9590?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 48.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 91.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-12400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 48.2% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400F is the better fit. You are getting 91.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 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 $176 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $350 MSRP, and it gives you a 48.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 285.4% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 29.1 PassMark/$), 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 2013), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM3+, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. 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

FX-9590 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
1080p
low	183 FPS	255 FPS
medium	168 FPS	240 FPS
high	139 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	226 FPS
medium	132 FPS	187 FPS
high	106 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	153 FPS
medium	81 FPS	127 FPS
high	64 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open FX-9590

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
1080p
low	471 FPS	255 FPS
medium	397 FPS	255 FPS
high	341 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	255 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	255 FPS
medium	351 FPS	255 FPS
high	309 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	255 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	255 FPS
medium	248 FPS	242 FPS
high	229 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	197 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open FX-9590

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
1080p
low	488 FPS	255 FPS
medium	488 FPS	255 FPS
high	488 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	255 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	255 FPS
medium	488 FPS	255 FPS
high	485 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	255 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	255 FPS
medium	389 FPS	255 FPS
high	337 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	255 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open FX-9590

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
1080p
low	488 FPS	255 FPS
medium	488 FPS	255 FPS
high	488 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	255 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	255 FPS
medium	488 FPS	255 FPS
high	488 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	255 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	255 FPS
medium	450 FPS	255 FPS
high	391 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	255 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open FX-9590

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and FX-9590

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.

FX-9590

The FX-9590 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 July 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Vishera (2012−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L2 cache: 8192 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 220 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 10,194 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the FX-9590 offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the FX-9590 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the FX-9590 — a 12.8% clock advantage for the FX-9590 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the FX-9590 uses Vishera (2012−2015) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the FX-9590's 10,194 — a 62.8% lead for the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 8+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4.7 GHz+88%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	8192 kB+540%
Process	Intel 7 nm-78%	32 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Vishera (2012−2015)
PassMark	19,532+92%	10,194
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 FX-9590 uses AM3+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
Socket	LGA1700	AM3+
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (FX-9590). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	FX-9590
Integrated GPU	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the FX-9590 debuted at $350. On MSRP ($174 vs $350), the Core i5-12400F is $176 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 29.1 pts/$ for the FX-9590 — making the Core i5-12400F the 117.6% better value option.