Core i9-11900KB vs Core i5-12400F

Core i9-11900KB

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2021

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-11900KB

8 / 16

22,693

+16.2%

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 i9-11900KB

#284

Core i7-14701E

MSRP: $392|Avg: $380

106%

#284

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

42%

#285

Core i5-10400

MSRP: $182|Avg: $175

106%

#286

Core i3-12100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $180

106%

#287

Core Ultra 9 285T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $549

104%

#288

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

34%

#288

Core i5-12500TE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $225

103%

#289

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

MSRP: $108|Avg: $70

102%

#290

Core i9-10900KF

MSRP: $509|Avg: $336

102%

#291

Core i9-14900T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $577

102%

#291

Core i9-7900X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $188

32%

#292

Core i5-13500T

MSRP: $342|Avg: $342

102%

#293

Core i3-10300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $140.49

102%

#294

Core i9-10900F

MSRP: $464|Avg: $300

102%

#294

Core i9-7920X

MSRP: $1199|Avg: $236

30%

#295

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

MSRP: $449|Avg: $429

102%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

28%

#296

Core i7-9700F

MSRP: $323|Avg: $200

102%

#297

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1419

101%

#298

Core i9-7960X

MSRP: $1699|Avg: $185

25%

#298

Core i5-9500F

MSRP: $187|Avg: $154

100%

#299

Core i9-7980XE

MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300

23%

#299

Core i9-11900KB

MSRP: $539|Avg: $350

100%

#300

Core i7-10700F

MSRP: $310|Avg: $250

100%

#301

Core i7-10700T

MSRP: $355|Avg: $200

99%

#302

Core i7-6900K

MSRP: $1089|Avg: $1089

21%

#302

Celeron G5920

MSRP: $52|Avg: $40

99%

#303

Core i3-10105T

MSRP: $122|Avg: $122

99%

#303

Core i7-5960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $83

21%

#304

Core i7-6950X

MSRP: $1723|Avg: $180

16%

#304

Celeron G5900

MSRP: $50|Avg: $42

98%

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 Trade-off: The Core i9-11900KB leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i5-12400F is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 15% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i9-11900KB	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($350)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Tiger Lake-H (2021) / 10 nm SuperFin)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: The Core i5-12400F leads not only in performance but also in value. It is effectively 69% cheaper ($110 vs $350) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i9-11900KB	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+174%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($350)	✅ 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 i9-11900KB Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-11900KB and Core i5-12400F

Core i9-11900KB

The Core i9-11900KB is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Maio 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,693 points. Launch price was $539.

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 i9-11900KB packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-11900KB has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i9-11900KB versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900KB (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i9-11900KB uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-11900KB scores 22,693 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 15% lead for the Core i9-11900KB. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,264 vs 12,380 (0.9% advantage for the Core i5-12400F). Multi-core Geekbench: 10,645 vs 657 (176.7% advantage for the Core i9-11900KB). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900KB vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i9-11900KB	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+32%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+33%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm SuperFin	Intel 7 nm-30%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-H (2021)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	22,693+16%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,264	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,645+1520%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-11900KB uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 3.0), 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 i9-11900KB 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: Mobile (Core i9-11900KB) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Core i9-11900KB	Core i5-12400F
Socket	FCBGA1787	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	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 i9-11900KB) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). The Core i9-11900KB includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics), 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 i9-11900KB	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-11900KB launched at $539 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($350 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $240 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-11900KB delivers 64.8 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 93% better value option.