Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U

Intel

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U

8 Cores16 Thrd8 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2023

Popular choices:

i5-12400F

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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 Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 24,531).
  • Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.

Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U

2023

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +16.7% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U better than Core i5-12400F?
Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.7% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data, 25.6% 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 PRO 7840U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.7% more average FPS across 49 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 7840U is the better fit. You are getting 25.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.7% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U 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 8 cores / 16 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
1080p
low183 FPS259 FPS
medium168 FPS238 FPS
high139 FPS201 FPS
ultra119 FPS173 FPS
1440p
low153 FPS229 FPS
medium132 FPS191 FPS
high106 FPS155 FPS
ultra89 FPS137 FPS
4K
low87 FPS159 FPS
medium81 FPS134 FPS
high64 FPS104 FPS
ultra49 FPS92 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
1080p
low471 FPS492 FPS
medium397 FPS408 FPS
high341 FPS356 FPS
ultra301 FPS319 FPS
1440p
low407 FPS430 FPS
medium351 FPS376 FPS
high309 FPS328 FPS
ultra265 FPS281 FPS
4K
low282 FPS284 FPS
medium248 FPS259 FPS
high229 FPS248 FPS
ultra196 FPS214 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
1080p
low488 FPS613 FPS
medium488 FPS613 FPS
high488 FPS613 FPS
ultra488 FPS522 FPS
1440p
low488 FPS613 FPS
medium488 FPS613 FPS
high485 FPS523 FPS
ultra434 FPS449 FPS
4K
low442 FPS523 FPS
medium389 FPS457 FPS
high337 FPS405 FPS
ultra274 FPS343 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
1080p
low488 FPS613 FPS
medium488 FPS613 FPS
high488 FPS613 FPS
ultra488 FPS613 FPS
1440p
low488 FPS613 FPS
medium488 FPS613 FPS
high488 FPS613 FPS
ultra473 FPS549 FPS
4K
low488 FPS558 FPS
medium450 FPS502 FPS
high391 FPS449 FPS
ultra330 FPS385 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U

Intel

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.

AMD

Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U

The Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 May 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5x, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,531 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U uses Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U's 24,531 — a 22.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U.

FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock
4.4 GHz
5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock
2.5 GHz
3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache
18 MB (total)+13%
16 MB
L2 Cache
1.25 MB (per core)
8 MB+540%
Process
Intel 7 nm
4 nm-43%
Architecture
Alder Lake-S (2022)
Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark
19,532
24,531+26%
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 7840U uses FP7/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
Socket
LGA1700
FP7/FP8
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 7840U). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen 7 PRO 7840U
Integrated GPU
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Gaming Performance/Value