Core i9-12900T vs Core i5-12400F

Core i9-12900T

16 Cores24 Thrd35 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2022

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-12900T

16 / 24

29,601

+51.6%

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 i9-12900T

#238

Core i3-13100TE

MSRP: $137|Avg: $137

105%

#239

Core i5-9600T

MSRP: $213|Avg: $118

104%

#240

Core i5-12400T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

103%

#241

Core i9-14900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $579

103%

#242

Celeron G6900E

MSRP: $53|Avg: $53

103%

#243

Core i3-12300T

MSRP: $209|Avg: $164

102%

#244

Core i9-12900

MSRP: $519|Avg: $420

102%

#245

Ryzen 3 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

102%

#246

Core i7-11700KF

MSRP: $374|Avg: $299

102%

#247

Core i5-10600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $179

102%

#248

Core i3-10325

MSRP: $154|Avg: $130

101%

#249

Ryzen Embedded V2718

MSRP: $250|Avg: $200

101%

#250

Core i7-8086K

MSRP: $425|Avg: $178

101%

#251

Core i3-10300T

MSRP: $157|Avg: $100

101%

#252

Core i9-10900TE

MSRP: $309|Avg: $180

100%

#253

Core i9-12900T

MSRP: $489|Avg: $378

100%

#254

Core i5-12600T

MSRP: $223|Avg: $223

100%

#255

Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $180

99%

#256

Ryzen 7 1700X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $60

50%

#256

Ryzen 5 3500X

MSRP: $155|Avg: $171

98%

#257

Core i9-14900

MSRP: $524|Avg: $589

98%

#258

Core i5-8600

MSRP: $213|Avg: $130

98%

#259

Core i3-9100TE

MSRP: $122|Avg: $60

98%

#260

Core i5-12500T

MSRP: $302|Avg: $214

97%

#261

Core i9-13900

MSRP: $549|Avg: $599

96%

#262

Core i7-11700

MSRP: $323|Avg: $274

96%

#262

Core i7-8700K

MSRP: $359|Avg: $160

48%

#263

Core i9-13900T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $570

96%

#264

Processor 300T

MSRP: $82|Avg: $82

95%

#265

Athlon 3000G

MSRP: $49|Avg: $60

95%

#266

Athlon 220GE

MSRP: $65|Avg: $60

95%

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 i9-12900T delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (41% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i9-12900T	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)	✅ 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 $378), it costs 71% less. While offering lower overall performance, it results in a 127% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i9-12900T.

Insight	Core i9-12900T	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+127%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)	✅ 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 i9-12900T Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

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

Core i9-12900T

The Core i9-12900T 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 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 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): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 29,601 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 i9-12900T packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-12900T has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i9-12900T versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900T (base: 1.4 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 i9-12900T scores 29,601 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 41% lead for the Core i9-12900T. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22,809 vs 12,380 (59.3% advantage for the Core i9-12900T). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,331 vs 1,700, a 31.3% lead for the Core i9-12900T that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,116 vs 657 (179.4% advantage for the Core i9-12900T). L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900T vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i9-12900T	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+167%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	2.5 GHz+79%
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	29,601+52%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	22,809+84%	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	2,331+37%	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,116+1744%	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 i9-12900T) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Core i9-12900T	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 i9-12900T) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). The Core i9-12900T includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 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 i9-12900T	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900T launched at $489 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($378 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $268 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900T delivers 78.3 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 77.6% better value option.