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 Max+ 395.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max+ 395 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 55,025).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max+ 395 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Ryzen AI Max+ 395

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.2% 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.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 8060S, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen AI Max+ 395

2025

Why buy it

✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI Max+ 395.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.2% 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.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 8060S, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max+ 395 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 55,025).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max+ 395 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max+ 395 better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 25.2% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data, 181.7% 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 AI Max+ 395 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 25.2% 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 Max+ 395 is the better fit. You are getting 181.7% better PassMark, 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 AI Max+ 395 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.2% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Max+ 395 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 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 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 Max+ 395 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
1080p
low	183 FPS	283 FPS
medium	168 FPS	257 FPS
high	139 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	261 FPS
medium	132 FPS	216 FPS
high	106 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	147 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	182 FPS
medium	81 FPS	150 FPS
high	64 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	102 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI Max+ 395

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
1080p
low	471 FPS	667 FPS
medium	397 FPS	575 FPS
high	341 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	375 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	562 FPS
medium	351 FPS	501 FPS
high	309 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	317 FPS
medium	248 FPS	287 FPS
high	229 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	218 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI Max+ 395

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
1080p
low	488 FPS	776 FPS
medium	488 FPS	609 FPS
high	488 FPS	529 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	447 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	674 FPS
medium	488 FPS	536 FPS
high	485 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	392 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	482 FPS
medium	389 FPS	399 FPS
high	337 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	300 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI Max+ 395

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
1080p
low	488 FPS	1050 FPS
medium	488 FPS	947 FPS
high	488 FPS	827 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	745 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	834 FPS
medium	488 FPS	742 FPS
high	488 FPS	648 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	562 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	613 FPS
medium	450 FPS	550 FPS
high	391 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen AI Max+ 395

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen AI Max+ 395

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 Max+ 395

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2025-01-01. It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 64 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: 55,025 points. Launch price was $450.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen AI Max+ 395's 55,025 — a 95.2% lead for the Ryzen AI Max+ 395. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max+ 395.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3 GHz+20%
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	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Strix Halo (2025)
PassMark	19,532	55,025+182%
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 AI Max+ 395 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 8000 on the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 — the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 supports 199.8% 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+ 395). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 16 (Ryzen AI Max+ 395) — 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 FP11 (Ryzen AI Max+ 395).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
Socket	LGA1700	FP11
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	8000+159900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max+ 395). The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 8060S), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen AI Max+ 395 rivals Core Ultra 9 285HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen AI Max+ 395
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon 8060S
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($174 vs $0), the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is $174 cheaper.