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: +65.2% higher average FPS across 35 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+125% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $19 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅Delivers 143.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 46.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Processor U300

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 35 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,897 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($193 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Processor U300

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +65.2% higher average FPS across 35 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+125% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $19 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅Delivers 143.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 46.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 35 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,897 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($193 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Processor U300?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 65.2% average FPS lead across 35 shared CPU game tests in our data and 119.5% better PassMark, 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 65.2% more average FPS across 35 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 119.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 125% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is $19 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $193 MSRP, and it gives you a 65.2% average FPS lead across 35 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 143.5% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 46.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Processor U300 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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

Processor U300 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
1080p
low	183 FPS	183 FPS
medium	168 FPS	150 FPS
high	139 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	150 FPS
medium	132 FPS	118 FPS
high	106 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	84 FPS
medium	81 FPS	72 FPS
high	64 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Processor U300

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
1080p
low	471 FPS	166 FPS
medium	397 FPS	137 FPS
high	341 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	146 FPS
medium	351 FPS	123 FPS
high	309 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	99 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	113 FPS
medium	248 FPS	98 FPS
high	229 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	72 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Processor U300

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
1080p
low	488 FPS	222 FPS
medium	488 FPS	222 FPS
high	488 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	222 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	222 FPS
medium	488 FPS	222 FPS
high	485 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	222 FPS
medium	389 FPS	222 FPS
high	337 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	163 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Processor U300

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
1080p
low	488 FPS	222 FPS
medium	488 FPS	222 FPS
high	488 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	222 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	222 FPS
medium	488 FPS	222 FPS
high	488 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	222 FPS
medium	450 FPS	222 FPS
high	391 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	222 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Processor U300

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Processor U300

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.

Processor U300

The Processor U300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 8,897 points. Launch price was $193.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Processor U300 offers 5 cores / 6 threads — the Core i5-12400F has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Processor U300 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.2 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Processor U300 uses Raptor Lake-U (2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Processor U300's 8,897 — a 74.8% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 8 MB (total) on the Processor U300.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+20%	5 / 6
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+108%	1.2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+125%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raptor Lake-U (2023)
PassMark	19,532+120%	8,897
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 Processor U300 uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
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 (Processor U300). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Processor U300
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 Processor U300 debuted at $193. On MSRP ($174 vs $193), the Core i5-12400F is $19 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 46.1 pts/$ for the Processor U300 — making the Core i5-12400F the 83.6% better value option.