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: +16.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $81 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $255 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 73.5 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $255 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 80W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 9,104).
❌No integrated graphics, while Xeon W-1350 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon W-1350

2021

Why buy it

✅+1285.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics P750, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.5 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($255 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌23.1% higher power demand at 80W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Xeon W-1350

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $81 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $255 MSRP).
✅Delivers 52.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 73.5 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $255 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 80W, a 15W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+1285.7% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics P750, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 9,104).
❌No integrated graphics, while Xeon W-1350 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.5 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($255 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌23.1% higher power demand at 80W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Xeon W-1350?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1350 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-1350 is the better fit. You are getting 1285.7% better Geekbench multi-core, 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 $81 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $255 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon W-1350 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1285.7% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 52.7% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 73.5 PassMark/$), 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 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB). 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-1350 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
1080p
low	183 FPS	246 FPS
medium	168 FPS	229 FPS
high	139 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	164 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	217 FPS
medium	132 FPS	184 FPS
high	106 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	151 FPS
medium	81 FPS	128 FPS
high	64 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1350

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
1080p
low	471 FPS	315 FPS
medium	397 FPS	267 FPS
high	341 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	221 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	280 FPS
medium	351 FPS	239 FPS
high	309 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	222 FPS
medium	248 FPS	191 FPS
high	229 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	146 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1350

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
1080p
low	488 FPS	469 FPS
medium	488 FPS	469 FPS
high	488 FPS	440 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	380 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	469 FPS
medium	488 FPS	463 FPS
high	485 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	385 FPS
medium	389 FPS	337 FPS
high	337 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1350

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
1080p
low	488 FPS	469 FPS
medium	488 FPS	469 FPS
high	488 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	469 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	469 FPS
medium	488 FPS	469 FPS
high	488 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	469 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	469 FPS
medium	450 FPS	469 FPS
high	391 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	392 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon W-1350

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon W-1350

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-1350

The Xeon W-1350 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake-S (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 18,742 points. Launch price was $255.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Xeon W-1350 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the Xeon W-1350 — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1350 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon W-1350 uses Rocket Lake-S (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon W-1350's 18,742 — a 4.1% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,140, a 22.9% lead for the Xeon W-1350 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 9,104 (173.1% advantage for the Xeon W-1350). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1350.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+50%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Rocket Lake-S (2021)
PassMark	19,532+4%	18,742
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,140+26%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	9,104+1286%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1350 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-3200 on the Xeon W-1350 — 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. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and W580,C252,C256 (Xeon W-1350).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs Yes (Xeon W-1350). The Xeon W-1350 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics P750), 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.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon W-1350
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics P750
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 W-1350 debuted at $255. On MSRP ($174 vs $255), the Core i5-12400F is $81 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 73.5 pts/$ for the Xeon W-1350 — making the Core i5-12400F the 41.7% better value option.