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Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen AI Max 385

CPUCPUGPUGPU
Intel

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022
Core family
·······
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VS
AMD

Ryzen AI Max 385

8 Cores16 Thrd55 WWMax: 5 GHz2025
Similar parts
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Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen AI Max 385 Performance Spectrum

Core i5-12400F
6 / 12
19,532
0.0%
brand logoCore i5-1335UE
brand logoCore i5-10500
brand logoCore i3-14100
brand logoXeon W-2140B
brand logoCore Ultra 9 285T
brand logoXeon w7-3455
brand logoXeon w9-3575X
brand logoXeon w9-3495X
Ryzen AI Max 385
8 / 16
32,274
+65.2%
brand logoRyzen 7 5800U
brand logoRyzen 5 5600
brand logoRyzen 7 8840HS
brand logoRyzen 7 7840HS
brand logoRyzen 9 7900
brand logoRyzen 9 9950X
brand logoRyzen Threadripper 3990X
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX

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.

Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen AI Max 385 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low183 FPS
medium168 FPS
high139 FPS
ultra119 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low257 FPS
medium234 FPS
high203 FPS
ultra174 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low471 FPS
medium397 FPS
high341 FPS
ultra301 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low592 FPS
medium500 FPS
high391 FPS
ultra346 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low488 FPS
medium488 FPS
high488 FPS
ultra488 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low780 FPS
medium611 FPS
high534 FPS
ultra447 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low488 FPS
medium488 FPS
high488 FPS
ultra488 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low807 FPS
medium807 FPS
high779 FPS
ultra700 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Apex Legends

Apex Legends

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low275 FPS
medium251 FPS
high233 FPS
ultra216 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low300 FPS
medium300 FPS
high300 FPS
ultra300 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low270 FPS
medium202 FPS
high171 FPS
ultra149 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low291 FPS
medium222 FPS
high193 FPS
ultra172 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low155 FPS
medium136 FPS
high116 FPS
ultra96 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low276 FPS
medium246 FPS
high191 FPS
ultra151 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low274 FPS
medium234 FPS
high208 FPS
ultra183 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low359 FPS
medium314 FPS
high272 FPS
ultra231 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
Core i5-12400F
low232 FPS
medium212 FPS
high176 FPS
ultra164 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low241 FPS
medium221 FPS
high187 FPS
ultra174 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen AI Max 385: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max 385 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • ❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 16,500).
    • ❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
    • ❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 385 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
    • ❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

    Ryzen AI Max 385

    2025

    Why buy it

    • ✅Better for gaming: +12.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • ✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
    • ✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
    • ✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 8050S, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

    Trade-offs

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

    Quick Answers

    So, is Ryzen AI Max 385 better than Core i5-12400F?
    Yes. Ryzen AI Max 385 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 12.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 33.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 65.2% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.
    Which one is better for gaming?
    If gaming is the priority, Ryzen AI Max 385 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 12.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.
    Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
    For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI Max 385 is the stronger fit. You are getting 33.3% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has 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 AI Max 385 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen AI Max 385 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it still gives you a 12.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.
    Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
    Ryzen AI Max 385 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), 77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

    Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen AI Max 385 Technical Specifications

    Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

    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 AI Max 385

    The Ryzen AI Max 385 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 32,274 points. Launch price was $499.

    ⚡

    Processing Power

    The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI Max 385 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen AI Max 385 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max 385 — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen AI Max 385's 32,274 — a 49.2% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 385. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 16,500 (28.5% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,800, a 48.9% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 385 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 14,000 (182.1% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max 385.

    FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen AI Max 385
    Cores / Threads
    6 / 12
    8 / 16+33%
    Boost Clock
    4.4 GHz
    5 GHz+14%
    Base Clock
    2.5 GHz
    3.6 GHz+44%
    L3 Cache
    18 MB (total)
    32 MB (total)+78%
    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 Halo (2025)
    PassMark
    19,532
    32,274+65%
    Cinebench R23 Multi
    12,380
    16,500+33%
    Geekbench 6 Single
    1,700
    2,800+65%
    Geekbench 6 Multi
    657
    14,000+2031%
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses FP11 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus LPDDR5x-8000 on the Ryzen AI Max 385 — the Ryzen AI Max 385 supports 66.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 4 (Ryzen AI Max 385). Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and Strix Halo platform (Ryzen AI Max 385).

    FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen AI Max 385
    Socket
    LGA1700
    FP11
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 3.0
    PCIe 4.0+33%
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
    LPDDR5x-8000+67%
    Max RAM Capacity
    128 GB
    128 GB
    RAM Channels
    2
    4+100%
    ECC Support
    No
    No
    PCIe Lanes
    20
    20
    🔧

    Advanced Features

    Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max 385). The Ryzen AI Max 385 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 8050S), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen AI Max 385 targets High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen AI Max 385 rivals Core Ultra 9 285H.

    FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen AI Max 385
    Integrated GPU
    No
    Yes
    IGPU Model
    —
    Radeon 8050S
    Unlocked
    —
    Yes
    AVX-512
    —
    Yes
    Virtualization
    VT-x, VT-d, EPT
    AMD-V
    Target Use
    Gaming Performance/Value
    High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop
    💰

    Value Analysis

    At launch, the Core i5-12400F was priced at $174, while the Ryzen AI Max 385 came in at $0. On launch pricing ($174 vs $0), Ryzen AI Max 385 was $174 cheaper.

    FeatureCore i5-12400FRyzen AI Max 385
    MSRP
    $174
    $0-100%
    Performance per Dollar
    112.3
    —
    Release Date
    2022
    2025
    Search Core i5-12400F on AmazonSearch Ryzen AI Max 385 on Amazon

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