Core i5-12400F vs M3 Pro 11-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.

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 M3 Pro 11-Core.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M3 Pro 11-Core across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 24,861).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while M3 Pro 11-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

M3 Pro 11-Core

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-12400F

2022

M3 Pro 11-Core

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M3 Pro 11-Core.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M3 Pro 11-Core across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 24,861).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while M3 Pro 11-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is M3 Pro 11-Core better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. M3 Pro 11-Core is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 27.3% 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, M3 Pro 11-Core is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.0% 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, M3 Pro 11-Core is the better fit. You are getting 27.3% better PassMark, backed by 11 cores and 11 threads.

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

M3 Pro 11-Core is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M3 Pro 11-Core is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

M3 Pro 11-Core is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 11 cores / 11 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

M3 Pro 11-Core Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	183 FPS	182 FPS
medium	168 FPS	146 FPS
high	139 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	146 FPS
medium	132 FPS	115 FPS
high	106 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	67 FPS
medium	81 FPS	56 FPS
high	64 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	471 FPS	399 FPS
medium	397 FPS	339 FPS
high	341 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	256 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	352 FPS
medium	351 FPS	309 FPS
high	309 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	230 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	255 FPS
medium	248 FPS	229 FPS
high	229 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	184 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	488 FPS	622 FPS
medium	488 FPS	622 FPS
high	488 FPS	622 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	593 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	622 FPS
medium	488 FPS	515 FPS
high	485 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	400 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	452 FPS
medium	389 FPS	356 FPS
high	337 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	248 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
1080p
low	488 FPS	622 FPS
medium	488 FPS	622 FPS
high	488 FPS	622 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	621 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	622 FPS
medium	488 FPS	622 FPS
high	488 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	469 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	494 FPS
medium	450 FPS	443 FPS
high	391 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open M3 Pro 11-Core

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and M3 Pro 11-Core

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.

M3 Pro 11-Core

The M3 Pro 11-Core is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 30 October 2023 (2 years ago). It features 11 cores and 11 threads. Base frequency is 2.748 GHz, with boost up to 4.06 GHz. Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: none. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,861 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the M3 Pro 11-Core offers 11 cores / 11 threads — the M3 Pro 11-Core has 5 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.06 GHz on the M3 Pro 11-Core — a 8% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.748 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 M3 Pro 11-Core's 24,861 — a 24% lead for the M3 Pro 11-Core.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M3 Pro 11-Core
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	11 / 11+83%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+8%	4.06 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.748 GHz+10%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	—
Process	Intel 7 nm	3 nm-57%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	—
PassMark	19,532	24,861+27%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the M3 Pro 11-Core uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	M3 Pro 11-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	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (M3 Pro 11-Core). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.