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: +18.2% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $378 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $552 MSRP).
✅Delivers 327.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 26.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $552 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 2,478).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290TE, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Xeon W-1290TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Xeon W-1290TE

2020

Why buy it

✅+277.2% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics P630, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 26.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($552 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-1290TE

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.2% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $378 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $552 MSRP).
✅Delivers 327.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 26.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $552 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+277.2% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics P630, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 2,478).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290TE, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Xeon W-1290TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 26.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($552 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-1290TE?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1290TE 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 W-1290TE is the better fit. You are getting 277.2% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 20 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 $378 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $552 MSRP, and it gives you a 18.2% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon W-1290TE is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 277.2% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 327.2% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 26.3 PassMark/$), 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) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. 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-1290TE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
1080p
low	183 FPS	163 FPS
medium	168 FPS	144 FPS
high	139 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	138 FPS
medium	132 FPS	118 FPS
high	106 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	75 FPS
medium	81 FPS	69 FPS
high	64 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	43 FPS

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

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
1080p
low	471 FPS	267 FPS
medium	397 FPS	230 FPS
high	341 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	230 FPS
medium	351 FPS	203 FPS
high	309 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	153 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	143 FPS
medium	248 FPS	126 FPS
high	229 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	104 FPS

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

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
1080p
low	488 FPS	363 FPS
medium	488 FPS	363 FPS
high	488 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	363 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	363 FPS
medium	488 FPS	363 FPS
high	485 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	363 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	363 FPS
medium	389 FPS	345 FPS
high	337 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	254 FPS

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

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
1080p
low	488 FPS	363 FPS
medium	488 FPS	363 FPS
high	488 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	363 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	363 FPS
medium	488 FPS	363 FPS
high	488 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	363 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	363 FPS
medium	450 FPS	363 FPS
high	391 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	363 FPS

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

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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-1290TE

The Xeon W-1290TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,505 points. Launch price was $552.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-1290TE offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon W-1290TE has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon W-1290TE — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1290TE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon W-1290TE uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon W-1290TE's 14,505 — a 29.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,507, a 38.4% lead for the Xeon W-1290TE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 2,478 (116.2% advantage for the Xeon W-1290TE). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1290TE.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+39%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	20 MB (total)+11%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	19,532+35%	14,505
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,507+47%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	2,478+277%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1290TE uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2933 on the Xeon W-1290TE — the Core i5-12400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 16 (Xeon W-1290TE) — 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 W480 (Xeon W-1290TE).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
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 (Xeon W-1290TE). The Xeon W-1290TE includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics P630), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Xeon W-1290TE targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1290TE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel UHD Graphics P630
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon W-1290TE debuted at $552. On MSRP ($174 vs $552), the Core i5-12400F is $378 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 26.3 pts/$ for the Xeon W-1290TE — making the Core i5-12400F the 124.1% better value option.