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

✅Costs $3,177 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $3,351 MSRP).
✅Delivers 612.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 15.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $3,351 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6438N.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6438N across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 20,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 60 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6438N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6438N

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+233.3% larger total L3 cache (60 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 15.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($3,351 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Xeon Gold 6438N

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,177 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $3,351 MSRP).
✅Delivers 612.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 15.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $3,351 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6438N.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+233.3% larger total L3 cache (60 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6438N across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 20,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 60 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6438N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 15.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($3,351 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6438N better than Core i5-12400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6438N 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 6438N is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.7% 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, Xeon Gold 6438N is the better fit. You are getting 2944.1% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 233.3% larger total L3 cache (60 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6438N is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6438N is 1825.9% more expensive on MSRP at $3,351 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 612.6% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 15.8 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon Gold 6438N is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 233.3% larger total L3 cache (60 MB vs 18 MB), more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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

Xeon Gold 6438N Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
1080p
low	183 FPS	200 FPS
medium	168 FPS	165 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	159 FPS
medium	132 FPS	124 FPS
high	106 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	73 FPS
medium	81 FPS	61 FPS
high	64 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6438N

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
1080p
low	471 FPS	239 FPS
medium	397 FPS	213 FPS
high	341 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	143 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	201 FPS
medium	351 FPS	182 FPS
high	309 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	125 FPS
medium	248 FPS	116 FPS
high	229 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	83 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6438N

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
1080p
low	488 FPS	956 FPS
medium	488 FPS	837 FPS
high	488 FPS	793 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	705 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	774 FPS
medium	488 FPS	668 FPS
high	485 FPS	623 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	495 FPS
medium	389 FPS	391 FPS
high	337 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	279 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6438N

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
1080p
low	488 FPS	924 FPS
medium	488 FPS	835 FPS
high	488 FPS	720 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	622 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	716 FPS
medium	488 FPS	630 FPS
high	488 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	462 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	517 FPS
medium	450 FPS	462 FPS
high	391 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	351 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 6438N

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon Gold 6438N

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 6438N

The Xeon Gold 6438N is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 52,789 points. Launch price was $3,351.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6438N offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6438N has 26 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6438N — a 20% 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 6438N uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon Gold 6438N's 52,789 — a 92% lead for the Xeon Gold 6438N. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,500, a 12.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 20,000 (187.3% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6438N). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 60 MB on the Xeon Gold 6438N.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	32 / 64+433%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+22%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+25%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	60 MB+233%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	19,532	52,789+170%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+13%	1,500
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	20,000+2944%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 6438N uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6438N supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6438N). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 80 (Xeon Gold 6438N) — the Xeon Gold 6438N offers 60 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6438N).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
Socket	LGA1700	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	4096 GB+3100%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	80+300%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6438N). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Xeon Gold 6438N targets Server. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Xeon Gold 6438N rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6438N
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6438N debuted at $3351. On MSRP ($174 vs $3351), the Core i5-12400F is $3177 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 15.8 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6438N — making the Core i5-12400F the 150.8% better value option.