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: +15.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $372 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 33.7 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290T, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Xeon W-1290T

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,409 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.7 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($546 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Xeon W-1290T

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $372 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Delivers 232.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 33.7 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $546 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290T, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,409 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.7 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($546 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 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 W-1290T?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1290T 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, Core i5-12400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 15.8% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400F is the better fit. You are getting 6.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is $372 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $546 MSRP, and it gives you a 15.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 232.9% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 33.7 PassMark/$), 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 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 10/20. 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 W-1290T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	183 FPS	183 FPS
medium	168 FPS	149 FPS
high	139 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	149 FPS
medium	132 FPS	118 FPS
high	106 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	83 FPS
medium	81 FPS	72 FPS
high	64 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1290T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	471 FPS	290 FPS
medium	397 FPS	242 FPS
high	341 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	250 FPS
medium	351 FPS	215 FPS
high	309 FPS	185 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	159 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	155 FPS
medium	248 FPS	133 FPS
high	229 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	110 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1290T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	488 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	485 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	460 FPS
medium	389 FPS	456 FPS
high	337 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	339 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1290T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	488 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	488 FPS	460 FPS
high	488 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	460 FPS
medium	450 FPS	460 FPS
high	391 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	422 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1290T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon W-1290T

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 W-1290T

The Xeon W-1290T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 18,409 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-1290T offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon W-1290T has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Xeon W-1290T — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1290T (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i5-12400F is built on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon W-1290T's 18,409 — a 5.9% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 20 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon W-1290T.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+32%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	20 MB Intel® Smart Cache+11%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	—
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	—
PassMark	19,532+6%	18,409
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 Xeon W-1290T uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (Xeon W-1290T). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290T
Integrated GPU	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon W-1290T debuted at $546. On MSRP ($174 vs $546), the Core i5-12400F is $372 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 33.7 pts/$ for the Xeon W-1290T — making the Core i5-12400F the 107.6% better value option.