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

✅Better for gaming: +12.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,568 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $2,742 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1412.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 7.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $2,742 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 11,988).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138T, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6138T

2017

Why buy it

✅+1724.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+52.8% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($2,742 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Xeon Gold 6138T

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,568 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $2,742 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1412.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 7.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $2,742 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+1724.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+52.8% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 11,988).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138T, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($2,742 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Xeon Gold 6138T?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6138T makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-12400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6138T is the better fit. You are getting 1724.7% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 52.8% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is $2,568 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $2,742 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6138T is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1724.7% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 1412.1% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 7.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-12400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647. 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

Xeon Gold 6138T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
1080p
low	183 FPS	189 FPS
medium	168 FPS	153 FPS
high	139 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	149 FPS
medium	132 FPS	117 FPS
high	106 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	69 FPS
medium	81 FPS	58 FPS
high	64 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6138T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
1080p
low	471 FPS	213 FPS
medium	397 FPS	188 FPS
high	341 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	184 FPS
medium	351 FPS	166 FPS
high	309 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	120 FPS
medium	248 FPS	109 FPS
high	229 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	82 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6138T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
1080p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	488 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	429 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	449 FPS
high	485 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	399 FPS
medium	389 FPS	314 FPS
high	337 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6138T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
1080p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	488 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	509 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	509 FPS
medium	488 FPS	509 FPS
high	488 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	463 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	496 FPS
medium	450 FPS	445 FPS
high	391 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	340 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6138T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon Gold 6138T

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.

Xeon Gold 6138T

The Xeon Gold 6138T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 20,356 points. Launch price was $2,742.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6138T offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138T has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138T — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6138T uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon Gold 6138T's 20,356 — a 4.1% lead for the Xeon Gold 6138T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,030, a 49.1% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 11,988 (179.2% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138T). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138T.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	20 / 40+233%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+19%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+25%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	27.5 MB+53%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	20 MB+1500%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	19,532	20,356+4%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+65%	1,030
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	11,988+1725%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 6138T uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2666 on the Xeon Gold 6138T — the Core i5-12400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6138T supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6138T). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6138T) — the Xeon Gold 6138T offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and C620 (Xeon Gold 6138T).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs Yes (Xeon Gold 6138T). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138T
Integrated GPU	No	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	Yes
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6138T debuted at $2742. On MSRP ($174 vs $2742), the Core i5-12400F is $2568 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 7.4 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6138T — making the Core i5-12400F the 175.2% better value option.