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: +95.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+350% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 4 MB).
✅400% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7520U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7520U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7520U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7520U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (4,527 vs 12,380).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 18 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 5 7520U

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +95.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+350% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 4 MB).
✅400% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7520U.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7520U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7520U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (4,527 vs 12,380).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 18 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Ryzen 5 7520U?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 95.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 173.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 115.5% higher 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 95.2% 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 173.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 350% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 4 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 at an unclear MSRP at $174 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 95.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 350% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 4 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. 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

Ryzen 5 7520U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	183 FPS	170 FPS
medium	168 FPS	135 FPS
high	139 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	143 FPS
medium	132 FPS	112 FPS
high	106 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	76 FPS
medium	81 FPS	64 FPS
high	64 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7520U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	471 FPS	227 FPS
medium	397 FPS	227 FPS
high	341 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	227 FPS
medium	351 FPS	199 FPS
high	309 FPS	181 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	174 FPS
medium	248 FPS	153 FPS
high	229 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7520U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	488 FPS	227 FPS
medium	488 FPS	227 FPS
high	488 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	227 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	227 FPS
medium	488 FPS	227 FPS
high	485 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	227 FPS
medium	389 FPS	227 FPS
high	337 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7520U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	488 FPS	227 FPS
medium	488 FPS	227 FPS
high	488 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	227 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	227 FPS
medium	488 FPS	227 FPS
high	488 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	227 FPS
medium	450 FPS	227 FPS
high	391 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	227 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7520U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 7520U

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.

Ryzen 5 7520U

The Ryzen 5 7520U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 9,063 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7520U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-12400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7520U — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 5 7520U's 9,063 — a 73.2% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 4,527 (92.9% advantage for the Core i5-12400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 797, a 72.3% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 2,744 (122.7% advantage for the Ryzen 5 7520U). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7520U.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7520U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+2%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.8 GHz+12%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+350%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	6 nm-14%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022)
PassMark	19,532+116%	9,063
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380+173%	4,527
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+113%	797
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	2,744+318%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses FT6 (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 16 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 4 (Ryzen 5 7520U) — the Core i5-12400F offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and FT6 (Ryzen 5 7520U).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7520U
Socket	LGA1700	FT6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	LPDDR5-5500
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+700%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+400%	4

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7520U). The Ryzen 5 7520U includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.