Core i7-11700KF
VS
Core i5-12400F

Core i7-11700KF vs Core i5-12400F

Intel

Core i7-11700KF

8 Cores16 Thrd125 WWMax: 5 GHz2021
VS
Intel

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-11700KF

#231
Core i7-8700B
MSRP: $303|Avg: $139
107%
#232
Ryzen 3 2200G
MSRP: $99|Avg: $80
106%
#233
Core i3-9100F
MSRP: $97|Avg: $80
105%
#234
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
MSRP: $479|Avg: $479
105%
#235
Ryzen 9 3900XT
MSRP: $499|Avg: $390
105%
#236
Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G
MSRP: $176|Avg: $176
104%
#237
Core i7-14700T
MSRP: $384|Avg: $384
103%
#238
Core i3-13100TE
MSRP: $137|Avg: $137
103%
#239
Core i5-9600T
MSRP: $213|Avg: $118
102%
#240
Core i5-12400T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $192
102%
#241
Core i9-14900F
MSRP: $524|Avg: $579
102%
#242
Celeron G6900E
MSRP: $53|Avg: $53
101%
#243
Core i3-12300T
MSRP: $209|Avg: $164
101%
#244
Core i9-12900
MSRP: $519|Avg: $420
101%
#245
Ryzen 3 8300G
MSRP: $176|Avg: $176
101%
#246
Core i7-11700KF
MSRP: $374|Avg: $299
100%
#247
Core i5-10600K
MSRP: $262|Avg: $179
100%
#248
Core i3-10325
MSRP: $154|Avg: $130
99%
#249
Ryzen Embedded V2718
MSRP: $250|Avg: $200
99%
#250
Core i7-8086K
MSRP: $425|Avg: $178
99%
#251
Core i3-10300T
MSRP: $157|Avg: $100
99%
#252
Core i9-10900TE
MSRP: $309|Avg: $180
99%
#253
Core i9-12900T
MSRP: $489|Avg: $378
98%
#254
Core i5-12600T
MSRP: $223|Avg: $223
98%
#255
Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE
MSRP: $200|Avg: $180
98%
#256
Ryzen 5 3500X
MSRP: $155|Avg: $171
97%
#256
Ryzen 7 1700X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $60
49%
#257
Core i9-14900
MSRP: $524|Avg: $589
97%
#258
Core i5-8600
MSRP: $213|Avg: $130
96%
#259
Core i3-9100TE
MSRP: $122|Avg: $60
96%
#260
Core i5-12500T
MSRP: $302|Avg: $214
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-12400F

#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
121%
#16
Core Ultra 5 225F
MSRP: $231|Avg: $150
118%
#17
Core Ultra 7 265K
MSRP: $309|Avg: $285
116%
#18
Ryzen 9 3900
MSRP: $499|Avg: $150
115%
#19
Ryzen 5 3600X
MSRP: $249|Avg: $90
113%
#20
Core i7-14700KF
MSRP: $384|Avg: $260
113%
#21
Core i7-14700K
MSRP: $409|Avg: $270
109%
#22
Ryzen 5 4500
MSRP: $129|Avg: $85
106%
#23
Ryzen 5 5600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $115
106%
#24
Celeron G5925
MSRP: $62|Avg: $15
105%
#25
Ryzen 5 7500F
MSRP: $179|Avg: $145
104%
#26
Core Ultra 5 245
MSRP: $319|Avg: $220
103%
#27
Ryzen 7 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $86
102%
#28
Core Ultra 7 265KF
MSRP: $379|Avg: $323
102%
#29
Core Ultra 7 265F
MSRP: $369|Avg: $276
100%
#30
Core i5-12400F
MSRP: $174|Avg: $110
100%
#31
Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G
MSRP: $130|Avg: $80
99%
#32
Ryzen 7 2700X
MSRP: $329|Avg: $100
98%
#33
Core i3-10100F
MSRP: $88|Avg: $50
98%
#34
Ryzen 5 7400F
MSRP: $150|Avg: $147
98%
#35
Ryzen 5 9600X
MSRP: $279|Avg: $178
95%
#36
Ryzen 7 3800X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $140
93%
#37
Ryzen 3 5300G
MSRP: $130|Avg: $80
92%
#38
Ryzen 9 7900X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $316
91%
#39
Ryzen 5 5600X
MSRP: $299|Avg: $135
91%
#40
Core i5-14600KF
MSRP: $304|Avg: $239
91%
#41
Ryzen 7 5800
MSRP: $349|Avg: $160
91%
#42
Core i3-14100F
MSRP: $109|Avg: $96
90%
#43
Ryzen 7 3700X
MSRP: $329|Avg: $140
90%
#44
Ryzen 5 7600X
MSRP: $299|Avg: $178
90%
#45
Ryzen 3 3100
MSRP: $99|Avg: $75
90%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-11700KF delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (19.7% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i7-11700KFCore i5-12400F
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($299)
More affordable ($110)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Rocket Lake (2021) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: The Core i5-12400F offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $110 (vs $299), it costs 63% less. While offering lower overall performance, it results in a 123% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i7-11700KF.
InsightCore i7-11700KFCore i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+123%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($299)
More affordable ($110)

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-11700KF and Core i5-12400F

Intel

Core i7-11700KF

The Core i7-11700KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 23,811 points. Launch price was $299.

Intel

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.

Processing Power

The Core i7-11700KF packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-11700KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-11700KF versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700KF (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-11700KF uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11700KF scores 23,811 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 19.7% lead for the Core i7-11700KF. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 15,011 vs 12,380 (19.2% advantage for the Core i7-11700KF). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,287 vs 1,700, a 29.4% lead for the Core i7-11700KF that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,874 vs 657 (177.2% advantage for the Core i7-11700KF). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-11700KF vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

FeatureCore i7-11700KFCore i5-12400F
Cores / Threads
8 / 16+33%
6 / 12
Boost Clock
5 GHz+14%
4.4 GHz
Base Clock
3.6 GHz+44%
2.5 GHz
L3 Cache
16 MB (total)
18 MB (total)+13%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process
14 nm
Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture
Rocket Lake (2021)
Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark
23,811+22%
19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi
15,011+21%
12,380
Geekbench 6 Single
2,287+35%
1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi
10,874+1555%
657
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-11700KF uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-11700KF versus DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F — 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: Z590,B560 (Core i7-11700KF) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

FeatureCore i7-11700KFCore i5-12400F
Socket
LGA1200
LGA1700
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700KF) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

FeatureCore i7-11700KFCore i5-12400F
Integrated GPU
No
No
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Gaming Performance/Value
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-11700KF launched at $374 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($299 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $189 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-11700KF delivers 79.6 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 76.1% better value option.

FeatureCore i7-11700KFCore i5-12400F
MSRP
$374
$174-53%
Avg Price (30d)
$299
$110-63%
Performance per Dollar
79.6
177.6+123%
Release Date
2021
2022