Core i9-10900F vs Core i5-12400F

Core i9-10900F

10 Cores20 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2020

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-10900F

10 / 20

19,800

+1.4%

19,532

0.0%

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 i9-10900F

#279

Core i9-11900KF

MSRP: $513|Avg: $349

107%

#279

Ryzen Threadripper 1920X

MSRP: $799|Avg: $265

44%

#280

Core i7-7820X

MSRP: $599|Avg: $198

43%

#280

Athlon Silver 3050GE

MSRP: $75|Avg: $65

106%

#281

Core i7-9700E

MSRP: $259|Avg: $180

106%

#282

Core i7-11700K

MSRP: $399|Avg: $350

105%

#283

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

MSRP: $799|Avg: $200

42%

#283

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

MSRP: $329|Avg: $330

105%

#284

Core i7-14701E

MSRP: $392|Avg: $380

104%

#284

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

42%

#285

Core i5-10400

MSRP: $182|Avg: $175

104%

#286

Core i3-12100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $180

104%

#287

Core Ultra 9 285T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $549

102%

#288

Core i5-12500TE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $225

101%

#288

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

33%

#289

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

MSRP: $108|Avg: $70

100%

#290

Core i9-10900KF

MSRP: $509|Avg: $336

100%

#291

Core i9-7900X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $188

32%

#291

Core i9-14900T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $577

100%

#292

Core i5-13500T

MSRP: $342|Avg: $342

100%

#293

Core i3-10300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $140.49

100%

#294

Core i9-7920X

MSRP: $1199|Avg: $236

30%

#294

Core i9-10900F

MSRP: $464|Avg: $300

100%

#295

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

MSRP: $449|Avg: $429

100%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

28%

#296

Core i7-9700F

MSRP: $323|Avg: $200

100%

#297

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1419

99%

#298

Core i9-7960X

MSRP: $1699|Avg: $185

25%

#298

Core i5-9500F

MSRP: $187|Avg: $154

98%

#299

Core i9-11900KB

MSRP: $539|Avg: $350

98%

#299

Core i9-7980XE

MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300

22%

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 i9-10900F delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (1.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i9-10900F	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($300)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 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 $300), it costs 63% less. While offering competitive performance, it results in a 169% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i9-10900F.

Insight	Core i9-10900F	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+169%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($300)	✅ 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.

Core i9-10900F Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10900F and Core i5-12400F

Core i9-10900F

The Core i9-10900F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 19,800 points. Launch price was $299.

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 i9-10900F packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-10900F has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10900F versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900F (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i9-10900F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10900F scores 19,800 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i9-10900F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 13,500 vs 12,380 (8.7% advantage for the Core i9-10900F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,701 vs 1,700, a 0.1% lead for the Core i9-10900F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,456 vs 657 (171.2% advantage for the Core i9-10900F). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900F vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i9-10900F	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+16%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+12%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+11%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	19,800+1%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	13,500+9%	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	1,701	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,456+1187%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10900F 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 DDR4-2933 on the Core i9-10900F 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. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i9-10900F) vs 20 (Core i5-12400F) — the Core i5-12400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B460,H470,Z490,B560,H570,Z590 (Core i9-10900F) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Core i9-10900F	Core i5-12400F
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-10900F) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). Primary use case: Core i9-10900F targets Gaming, Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i9-10900F rivals Ryzen 7 3800X; Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i9-10900F	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-10900F launched at $464 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($300 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $190 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-10900F delivers 66.0 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 91.6% better value option.