Core i5-12400F vs M2 Max

CPU

GPU

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

M2 Max

12 Cores12 Thrd36 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2023

Popular choices:

i5-12400F•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

26,824

+37.3%

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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M2 Max.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M2 Max across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,824).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while M2 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.

M2 Max

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M2 Max GPU, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

M2 Max

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M2 Max.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M2 Max GPU, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M2 Max across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,824).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while M2 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 Max better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. M2 Max is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 10.4% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 37.3% 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, M2 Max is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.4% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 Max is the better fit. You are getting 37.3% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 18 MB).

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

M2 Max is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M2 Max is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.4% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i5-12400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

M2 Max is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 166.7% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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

M2 Max Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
1080p
low	183 FPS	189 FPS
medium	168 FPS	152 FPS
high	139 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	155 FPS
medium	132 FPS	121 FPS
high	106 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	71 FPS
medium	81 FPS	59 FPS
high	64 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M2 Max

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
1080p
low	471 FPS	505 FPS
medium	397 FPS	437 FPS
high	341 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	429 FPS
medium	351 FPS	379 FPS
high	309 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	240 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	266 FPS
medium	248 FPS	239 FPS
high	229 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	173 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M2 Max

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
1080p
low	488 FPS	671 FPS
medium	488 FPS	670 FPS
high	488 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	552 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	605 FPS
medium	488 FPS	483 FPS
high	485 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	423 FPS
medium	389 FPS	329 FPS
high	337 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M2 Max

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
1080p
low	488 FPS	671 FPS
medium	488 FPS	671 FPS
high	488 FPS	671 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	671 FPS
medium	488 FPS	663 FPS
high	488 FPS	569 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	489 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	545 FPS
medium	450 FPS	486 FPS
high	391 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	368 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M2 Max

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and M2 Max

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.

M2 Max

The M2 Max is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 17 January 2023 (2 years ago). It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. L2 cache: 36 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 36 MB + 48 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 26,824 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M2 Max offers 12 cores / 12 threads — the M2 Max has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.7 GHz on the M2 Max — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.424 GHz). The Core i5-12400F is built on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the M2 Max's 26,824 — a 31.5% lead for the M2 Max. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 48 MB on the M2 Max.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 12+100%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+19%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+3%	2.424 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	48 MB+167%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	36 MB+2780%
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	—
PassMark	19,532	26,824+37%
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 M2 Max uses none (PCIe 4.0) — 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 96 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 4 (M2 Max). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 0 (M2 Max) — the Core i5-12400F offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
Socket	LGA1700	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	LPDDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+33%	96 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs Virtualization (M2 Max). The M2 Max includes integrated graphics (Apple M2 Max GPU), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, M2 Max targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M2 Max
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Apple M2 Max GPU
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	Virtualization
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Mobile