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 $126 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 86.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 5845.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,054).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

2022

Why buy it

✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 86.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $126 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 86.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 5845.

Why buy it

✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,054).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 86.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.4% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data and 33.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.4% 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 PRO 5845 is the better fit. You are getting 33.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is 72.4% more expensive on MSRP at $300 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 29.3% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 86.8 PassMark/$), 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.

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 a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 PRO 5845 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
1080p
low	183 FPS	159 FPS
medium	168 FPS	131 FPS
high	139 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	140 FPS
medium	132 FPS	113 FPS
high	106 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	78 FPS
medium	81 FPS	68 FPS
high	64 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
1080p
low	471 FPS	511 FPS
medium	397 FPS	431 FPS
high	341 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	431 FPS
medium	351 FPS	377 FPS
high	309 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	256 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	267 FPS
medium	248 FPS	236 FPS
high	229 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	179 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
1080p
low	488 FPS	649 FPS
medium	488 FPS	529 FPS
high	488 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	411 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	543 FPS
medium	488 FPS	449 FPS
high	485 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	350 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	396 FPS
medium	389 FPS	320 FPS
high	337 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	227 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
1080p
low	488 FPS	651 FPS
medium	488 FPS	651 FPS
high	488 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	641 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	651 FPS
medium	488 FPS	651 FPS
high	488 FPS	593 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	511 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	526 FPS
medium	450 FPS	473 FPS
high	391 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	371 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

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 PRO 5845

The Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 26,054 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845's 26,054 — a 28.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.4 GHz+36%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+78%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	19,532	26,054+33%
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 PRO 5845 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
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 (Ryzen 7 PRO 5845). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 PRO 5845
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 Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 debuted at $300. On MSRP ($174 vs $300), the Core i5-12400F is $126 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 86.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 — making the Core i5-12400F the 25.5% better value option.