Core i5-12400F vs M2 Pro 10-Core

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.

Core i5-12400F vs M2 Pro 10-Core FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-12400F vs M2 Pro 10-Core: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M2 Pro 10-Core.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 21,939).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while M2 Pro 10-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.

M2 Pro 10-Core

2023

Why buy it

✅+12.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 Pro 10-Core better than Core i5-12400F?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M2 Pro 10-Core pulls ahead with 12.3% better PassMark. M2 Pro 10-Core also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 Pro 10-Core is the stronger fit. You are getting 12.3% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

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

M2 Pro 10-Core is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. M2 Pro 10-Core comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it still gives you 12.3% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i5-12400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget 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 Pro 10-Core makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 10 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-12400F vs M2 Pro 10-Core Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 Pro 10-Core

The M2 Pro 10-Core is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 17 January 2023 (2 years ago). It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.42 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. L2 cache: 36 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 36 MB + 24 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,939 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M2 Pro 10-Core offers 10 cores / 10 threads — the M2 Pro 10-Core has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.7 GHz on the M2 Pro 10-Core — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.42 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 Pro 10-Core's 21,939 — a 11.6% lead for the M2 Pro 10-Core. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 24 MB on the M2 Pro 10-Core.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M2 Pro 10-Core
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 10+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+19%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+3%	2.42 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB+33%
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	21,939+12%
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 Pro 10-Core uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M2 Pro 10-Core
Socket	LGA1700	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
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 (M2 Pro 10-Core). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.