Core i9-12900KS vs Core i5-12400F

Core i9-12900KS

16 Cores24 Thrd150 WWMax: 5.3 GHz2022

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-12900KS

16 / 24

43,528

+122.9%

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 i9-12900KS

#134

Core i5-11400

MSRP: $182|Avg: $141

105%

#135

Core i5-13600K

MSRP: $329|Avg: $319

104%

#136

Core i5-13500

MSRP: $242|Avg: $264

104%

#137

Ryzen 7 8700G

MSRP: $329|Avg: $269

104%

#138

Core i7-14700

MSRP: $384|Avg: $348

104%

#139

Ryzen 5 2500X

MSRP: $159|Avg: $80

104%

#140

Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

103%

#141

Core i9-13900K

MSRP: $599|Avg: $500

103%

#142

Core i3-14100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $131

103%

#143

Ryzen 5 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

102%

#144

Core i7-10700KF

MSRP: $405|Avg: $160

102%

#145

Core i5-11600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $170

102%

#146

Core i7-13700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $400

101%

#147

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

100%

#148

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $150

100%

#149

Core i9-12900KS

MSRP: $739|Avg: $385

100%

#150

Ryzen 5 5500X3D

MSRP: $185|Avg: $180

99%

#151

Core Ultra 7 265T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $362

99%

#152

Ryzen 3 3200GE

MSRP: $85|Avg: $64

99%

#153

Core i3-9100T

MSRP: $122|Avg: $50

99%

#154

Ryzen 5 4600G

MSRP: $154|Avg: $143

99%

#155

Core i7-13700T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $250

99%

#156

Ryzen 9 5900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $350

98%

#157

Core i7-13700F

MSRP: $359|Avg: $345

98%

#158

Core i5-13600T

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

98%

#159

Ryzen 5 3400GE

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

98%

#160

Core i7-12700F

MSRP: $314|Avg: $275

98%

#161

Core i5-9400

MSRP: $192|Avg: $85

98%

#162

Core i3-13100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $128

97%

#163

Core i9-10910

MSRP: $488|Avg: $200

95%

#164

Core i5-14600T

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

94%

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 i9-12900KS delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (76.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i9-12900KS	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($385)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 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 $385), it costs 71% less. While offering significantly lower raw performance, it results in a 57% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i9-12900KS.

Insight	Core i9-12900KS	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+57%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($385)	✅ 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 i9-12900KS Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900KS and Core i5-12400F

Core i9-12900KS

The Core i9-12900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 43,528 points. Launch price was $499.

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 i9-12900KS packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-12900KS has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.3 GHz on the Core i9-12900KS versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900KS (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). Both are built on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture using a Intel 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i9-12900KS scores 43,528 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 76.1% lead for the Core i9-12900KS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 27,796 vs 12,380 (76.7% advantage for the Core i9-12900KS). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,082 vs 1,700, a 20.2% lead for the Core i9-12900KS that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900KS vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i9-12900KS	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+167%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+20%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+36%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+67%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	43,528+123%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	27,796+125%	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	2,082+22%	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: LGA1700 (Core i9-12900KS) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Core i9-12900KS	Core i5-12400F
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
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 i9-12900KS) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). The Core i9-12900KS includes integrated graphics (UHD 770), 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 i9-12900KS	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900KS launched at $739 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($385 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $275 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900KS delivers 113.1 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 44.4% better value option.