Core Ultra 5 235 vs Core i5-12400F

Core Ultra 5 235

14 Cores14 Thrd65 WWMax: 5 GHz2025

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core Ultra 5 235

14 / 14

39,924

+104.4%

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 Ultra 5 235

#50

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE

MSRP: $169|Avg: $50

105%

#51

Core Ultra 5 225

MSRP: $240|Avg: $200

105%

#52

Core i5-11500

MSRP: $192|Avg: $110

105%

#53

Core i3-12100F

MSRP: $97|Avg: $90

105%

#54

Core Ultra 7 265

MSRP: $384|Avg: $320

105%

#55

Ryzen 7 5800X

MSRP: $449|Avg: $180

104%

#56

Core i5-11400F

MSRP: $157|Avg: $110

104%

#57

Ryzen 7 5700G

MSRP: $359|Avg: $160

103%

#58

Ryzen 7 5700X

MSRP: $299|Avg: $175

102%

#59

Core i5-9500

MSRP: $192|Avg: $65

102%

#60

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

MSRP: $429|Avg: $450

101%

#61

Core i9-9960X

MSRP: $1684|Avg: $200

101%

#62

Core Ultra 5 225T

MSRP: $240|Avg: $180

101%

#63

Ryzen 3 3300X

MSRP: $120|Avg: $90

101%

#64

Core i5-12600K

MSRP: $289|Avg: $185

100%

#65

Core Ultra 5 235

MSRP: $257|Avg: $269

100%

#66

Ryzen 7 5700

MSRP: $179|Avg: $164

100%

#67

Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $90

100%

#68

Ryzen 3 4100

MSRP: $99|Avg: $75

99%

#69

Ryzen 9 9900X

MSRP: $499|Avg: $370

99%

#70

Ryzen 5 7600

MSRP: $229|Avg: $185

98%

#71

Core i5-14490F

MSRP: $209|Avg: $190

98%

#72

Core i5-12600KF

MSRP: $264|Avg: $190

98%

#73

Core i5-13600KF

MSRP: $249|Avg: $258

98%

#74

Ryzen 5 5500GT

MSRP: $125|Avg: $130

98%

#75

Ryzen 7 1700

MSRP: $140|Avg: $185

71%

#75

Ryzen 7 PRO 4750G

MSRP: $309|Avg: $140

97%

#76

Ryzen 7 7700X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $249

96%

#77

Ryzen 9 5900XT

MSRP: $349|Avg: $311

96%

#78

Core i5-12500

MSRP: $212|Avg: $140

95%

#79

Core i5-14600K

MSRP: $329|Avg: $275

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 Ultra 5 235 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (68.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core Ultra 5 235	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($269)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) / 3 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 $269), it costs 59% less. While offering significantly lower raw performance, it results in a 20% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core Ultra 5 235.

Insight	Core Ultra 5 235	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+20%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($269)	✅ 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 Ultra 5 235 Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 235 and Core i5-12400F

Core Ultra 5 235

The Core Ultra 5 235 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 14 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 39,924 points. Launch price was $257.

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 Ultra 5 235 packs 14 cores / 14 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 5 235 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 235 versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 235 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 235 uses the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 235 scores 39,924 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 68.6% lead for the Core Ultra 5 235. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,600 vs 1,700, a 41.9% lead for the Core Ultra 5 235 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,000 vs 657 (180.8% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 235). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 235 vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	14 / 14+133%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz+14%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+36%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+33%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)+140%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	39,924+104%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	2,600+53%	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,000+1879%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 235 uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Core Ultra 5 235 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Z890,B860 (Core Ultra 5 235) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235	Core i5-12400F
Socket	LGA1851	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+100%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 235) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). The Core Ultra 5 235 includes integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 235 targets Mainstream Desktop, Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 235 rivals Ryzen 5 8600G; Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Mainstream Desktop	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 235 launched at $257 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($269 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $159 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 235 delivers 148.4 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 17.9% better value option.