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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7945HX across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 34,521).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 7945HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Ryzen 9 7945HX

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.3% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 9 7945HX

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.3% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7945HX across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 34,521).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 7945HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7945HX better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7945HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 178.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 178.6% 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, Ryzen 9 7945HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.3% 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 9 7945HX is the better fit. You are getting 178.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7945HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 7945HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 7945HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 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.

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7945HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
1080p
low	183 FPS	301 FPS
medium	168 FPS	276 FPS
high	139 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	190 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	271 FPS
medium	132 FPS	226 FPS
high	106 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	153 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	189 FPS
medium	81 FPS	157 FPS
high	64 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 7945HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
1080p
low	471 FPS	744 FPS
medium	397 FPS	620 FPS
high	341 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	397 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	630 FPS
medium	351 FPS	541 FPS
high	309 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	328 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	355 FPS
medium	248 FPS	309 FPS
high	229 FPS	272 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	230 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 7945HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
1080p
low	488 FPS	893 FPS
medium	488 FPS	712 FPS
high	488 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	533 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	718 FPS
medium	488 FPS	572 FPS
high	485 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	418 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	513 FPS
medium	389 FPS	427 FPS
high	337 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	323 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 7945HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
1080p
low	488 FPS	1129 FPS
medium	488 FPS	1006 FPS
high	488 FPS	873 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	768 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	900 FPS
medium	488 FPS	790 FPS
high	488 FPS	689 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	584 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	648 FPS
medium	450 FPS	578 FPS
high	391 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 7945HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 9 7945HX

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 9 7945HX

The Ryzen 9 7945HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2023-03-12. It is based on the Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 54,425 points. Launch price was $700.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7945HX offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 7945HX has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7945HX — a 20.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7945HX (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7945HX uses Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 9 7945HX's 54,425 — a 94.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 7945HX. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 34,521 (94.4% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7945HX). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,774, a 48% lead for the Ryzen 9 7945HX that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 16,214 (184.4% advantage for the Ryzen 9 7945HX). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7945HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.4 GHz+23%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+256%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	CCD = 5 nm, I/O = 6 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Dragon Range-HX (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	19,532	54,425+179%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	34,521+179%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,774+63%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	16,214+2368%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 7945HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — 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. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 7945HX) — the Ryzen 9 7945HX offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and FL1 (Ryzen 9 7945HX).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
Socket	LGA1700	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 7945HX). The Ryzen 9 7945HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 9 7945HX targets Extreme Gaming / Mobile Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 9 7945HX rivals Core i9-14900HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 7945HX
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 610M
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Extreme Gaming / Mobile Workstation