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

✅Costs $25 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 260.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 260 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 28,339).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 142.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 260 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 260

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.3% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 26.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 142.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
14.4% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 7 260

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $25 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 260.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.3% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 26.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 142.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 260 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 28,339).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 142.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 260 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
14.4% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 260 better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 7 260 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 25.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 45.1% 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, Ryzen 7 260 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 25.3% 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, Ryzen 7 260 is the better fit. You are getting 45.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 260 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 260 is 14.4% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 26.9% better value on MSRP (142.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 7 260 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 7 260 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	183 FPS	265 FPS
medium	168 FPS	240 FPS
high	139 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	234 FPS
medium	132 FPS	192 FPS
high	106 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	162 FPS
medium	81 FPS	135 FPS
high	64 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 260

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	471 FPS	486 FPS
medium	397 FPS	399 FPS
high	341 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	304 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	424 FPS
medium	351 FPS	367 FPS
high	309 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	280 FPS
medium	248 FPS	253 FPS
high	229 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	204 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 260

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	708 FPS
high	488 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	623 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	644 FPS
high	485 FPS	544 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	467 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	540 FPS
medium	389 FPS	474 FPS
high	337 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	357 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 260

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	708 FPS
high	488 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	708 FPS
medium	488 FPS	708 FPS
high	488 FPS	657 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	572 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	574 FPS
medium	450 FPS	511 FPS
high	391 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 260

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 7 260

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 7 260

The Ryzen 7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 28,339 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 260 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 260 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 260 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 260 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 260 uses Hawk Point (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 7 260's 28,339 — a 36.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 260. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 260.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Hawk Point (2024−2025)
PassMark	19,532	28,339+45%
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 Ryzen 7 260 uses FP8 (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 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 260). The Ryzen 7 260 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 7 260 targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 260
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 780M
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Mobile

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 260 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($174 vs $199), the Core i5-12400F is $25 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 142.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 260 — making the Ryzen 7 260 the 23.7% better value option.