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

✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,700 vs 2,865).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 22,246).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

2024

Why buy it

✅+68.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 890M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

2024

Why buy it

✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.

Why buy it

✅+68.5% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 890M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,700 vs 2,865).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 22,246).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 79.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 77.1% 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 AI 9 HX 375 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.3% 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 AI 9 HX 375 is the better fit. You are getting 79.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 AI 9 HX 375 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 AI 9 HX 375 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	183 FPS	245 FPS
medium	168 FPS	230 FPS
high	139 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	216 FPS
medium	132 FPS	184 FPS
high	106 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	150 FPS
medium	81 FPS	128 FPS
high	64 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	471 FPS	262 FPS
medium	397 FPS	220 FPS
high	341 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	232 FPS
medium	351 FPS	203 FPS
high	309 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	154 FPS
medium	248 FPS	140 FPS
high	229 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	115 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	488 FPS	738 FPS
medium	488 FPS	587 FPS
high	488 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	429 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	661 FPS
medium	488 FPS	533 FPS
high	485 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	482 FPS
medium	389 FPS	403 FPS
high	337 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	301 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	488 FPS	865 FPS
medium	488 FPS	809 FPS
high	488 FPS	694 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	757 FPS
medium	488 FPS	680 FPS
high	488 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	515 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	518 FPS
medium	450 FPS	473 FPS
high	391 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	369 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

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 AI 9 HX 375

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Julho 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,585 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 uses Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375's 34,585 — a 55.6% lead for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 22,246 (57% advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,865, a 51% lead for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 15,100 (183.3% advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+25%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024)
PassMark	19,532	34,585+77%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	22,246+80%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,865+69%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	15,100+2198%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375) — the Core i5-12400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and SoC (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	LPDDR5x-8000, DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V, AMD-Vi (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375). The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 890M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 targets AI-Notebook. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 rivals Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 890M
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V, AMD-Vi
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	AI-Notebook

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($174 vs $0), the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is $174 cheaper.