Core i9-13900KS
VS
Core i5-12400F

Core i9-13900KS vs Core i5-12400F

Intel

Core i9-13900KS

24 Cores32 Thrd150 WWMax: 5.8 GHz2023
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 i9-13900KS

#157
Core i7-13700F
MSRP: $359|Avg: $345
106%
#158
Core i5-13600T
MSRP: $255|Avg: $255
106%
#159
Ryzen 5 3400GE
MSRP: $149|Avg: $80
106%
#160
Core i7-12700F
MSRP: $314|Avg: $275
106%
#161
Core i5-9400
MSRP: $192|Avg: $85
106%
#162
Core i3-13100
MSRP: $134|Avg: $128
105%
#163
Core i9-10910
MSRP: $488|Avg: $200
102%
#164
Core i5-14600T
MSRP: $255|Avg: $255
102%
#165
Core i5-11500T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $120
102%
#166
Ryzen 7 5700X3D
MSRP: $249|Avg: $249
101%
#167
Ryzen 3 8300GE
MSRP: $129|Avg: $129
101%
#168
Core i3-13100T
MSRP: $134|Avg: $122
100%
#169
Core i5-10600T
MSRP: $213|Avg: $110
100%
#170
Ryzen 3 3200G
MSRP: $100|Avg: $67
100%
#171
Core Ultra 9 285
MSRP: $589|Avg: $550
100%
#172
Core i9-13900KS
MSRP: $699|Avg: $580
100%
#173
Ryzen 5 2400G
MSRP: $169|Avg: $84
100%
#174
Ryzen 9 9950X3D
MSRP: $699|Avg: $675
100%
#175
Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G
MSRP: $149|Avg: $105.5
99%
#176
Core i7-13700
MSRP: $384|Avg: $350
99%
#177
Athlon 200GE
MSRP: $55|Avg: $40
98%
#178
Core i5-13500E
MSRP: $235|Avg: $235
98%
#179
Core i5-12500E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $200
98%
#180
Core i9-11900
MSRP: $439|Avg: $220
98%
#181
Core i7-12700E
MSRP: $314|Avg: $278
98%
#182
Core i3-14100T
MSRP: $134|Avg: $135
97%
#183
Core i5-13400T
MSRP: $221|Avg: $200
97%
#184
Core i3-12300
MSRP: $143|Avg: $143
96%
#185
Core i5-10505
MSRP: $192|Avg: $120
96%
#186
Ryzen 3 4300G
MSRP: $149|Avg: $100
95%
#187
Ryzen 9 3950X
MSRP: $749|Avg: $389
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 i9-13900KS delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (102.4% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i9-13900KSCore i5-12400F
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($580)
More affordable ($110)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) / 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 $580), it costs 81% less. While offering significantly lower raw performance, it results in a 70% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i9-13900KS.
InsightCore i9-13900KSCore i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+70%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($580)
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 i9-13900KS and Core i5-12400F

Intel

Core i9-13900KS

The Core i9-13900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.8 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 60,543 points. Launch price was $699.

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 i9-13900KS packs 24 cores / 32 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-13900KS has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.8 GHz on the Core i9-13900KS versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 27.5% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900KS (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i9-13900KS uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-13900KS scores 60,543 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 102.4% lead for the Core i9-13900KS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 40,998 vs 12,380 (107.2% advantage for the Core i9-13900KS). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 3,123 vs 1,700, a 59% lead for the Core i9-13900KS that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 21,421 vs 657 (188.1% advantage for the Core i9-13900KS). L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900KS vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

FeatureCore i9-13900KSCore i5-12400F
Cores / Threads
24 / 32+300%
6 / 12
Boost Clock
5.8 GHz+32%
4.4 GHz
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+28%
2.5 GHz
L3 Cache
36 MB (total)+100%
18 MB (total)
L2 Cache
2 MB (per core)+60%
1.25 MB (per core)
Process
Intel 7 nm
Intel 7 nm
Architecture
Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark
60,543+210%
19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi
40,998+231%
12,380
Geekbench 6 Single
3,123+84%
1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi
21,421+3160%
657
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0. Both support up to DDR5-5600 memory speed. The Core i9-13900KS supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Z790,B760 (Core i9-13900KS) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

FeatureCore i9-13900KSCore i5-12400F
Socket
LGA1700
LGA1700
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+67%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR5-5600
DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
192 GB+50%
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: true (Core i9-13900KS) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). The Core i9-13900KS includes integrated graphics (Intel 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 i9-13900KS rivals Ryzen 9 7950X; Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

FeatureCore i9-13900KSCore i5-12400F
Integrated GPU
Yes
No
IGPU Model
Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
true
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Gaming Performance/Value
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-13900KS launched at $699 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($580 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $470 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-13900KS delivers 104.4 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 51.9% better value option.

FeatureCore i9-13900KSCore i5-12400F
MSRP
$699
$174-75%
Avg Price (30d)
$580
$110-81%
Performance per Dollar
104.4
177.6+70%
Release Date
2023
2022