Core i5-12400F vs Core i3-10100

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Core i3-10100

4 Cores8 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

+129.1%

8,526

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 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 Per Dollar Core i3-10100

#305

Core 5 120

MSRP: $340|Avg: $340

109%

#306

Core i7-12700T

MSRP: $339|Avg: $337

108%

#307

Core 3 100HL

MSRP: $306|Avg: $280

108%

#308

Core i9-11900F

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $358.87

105%

#309

Core i9-9900T

MSRP: $423|Avg: $215

105%

#310

Core i5-9500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $132

105%

#311

Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE

MSRP: $349|Avg: $349

103%

#312

Core i9-10940X

MSRP: $784|Avg: $460

103%

#313

Core i9-10920X

MSRP: $689|Avg: $430

103%

#314

Core i7-10700

MSRP: $365|Avg: $268

103%

#315

Core i5-9600K

MSRP: $263|Avg: $178

102%

#316

Ryzen Threadripper 7960X

MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1400

102%

#317

Ryzen 7 PRO 4750GE

MSRP: $309|Avg: $309

102%

#318

Core i3-10305T

MSRP: $143|Avg: $143

102%

#319

Ryzen Embedded V1202B

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

100%

#320

Core i3-10100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $146

100%

#321

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

MSRP: $311|Avg: $311

100%

#322

Celeron G6900

MSRP: $52|Avg: $77

99%

#323

Core i9-11900K

MSRP: $539|Avg: $435

98%

#324

Core i7-12700TE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $350

97%

#325

Core i9-12900E

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

96%

#326

Celeron G4900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $40

96%

#327

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $452

95%

#328

Core i9-9900KS

MSRP: $513|Avg: $350

95%

#329

Core i5-11600T

MSRP: $262|Avg: $262

94%

#330

Core i9-9900K

MSRP: $488|Avg: $331

94%

#331

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

MSRP: $899|Avg: $540

93%

#332

Celeron G4930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

93%

#333

Core i9-9920X

MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464

92%

#334

Core i3-9100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $125

90%

#335

Core i9-10900X

MSRP: $590|Avg: $425

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-12400F delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-10100 in both compute-intensive tasks (78.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i3-10100
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($146)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Comet Lake-S (2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: The Core i5-12400F leads not only in performance but also in value. It is effectively 25% cheaper ($110 vs $146) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i3-10100
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+204%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($146)

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 i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Core i3-10100 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i3-10100

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.

Core i3-10100

The Core i3-10100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-S (2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 8,526 points. Launch price was $130.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i3-10100 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-12400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i3-10100 — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i3-10100 uses Comet Lake-S (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i3-10100's 8,526 — a 78.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 5,612 (75.2% advantage for the Core i5-12400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,430, a 17.3% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 4,300 (147% advantage for the Core i3-10100). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-10100.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i3-10100
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+2%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+44%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+200%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Comet Lake-S (2020)
PassMark	19,532+129%	8,526
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380+121%	5,612
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+19%	1,430
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	4,300+554%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-10100 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i3-10100 — 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. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 16 (Core i3-10100) — the Core i5-12400F offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and 400-series,500-series (Core i3-10100).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i3-10100
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. The Core i3-10100 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i3-10100 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i3-10100 rivals Ryzen 3 3300X.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i3-10100
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i3-10100 debuted at $122. At current prices ($110 vs $146), the Core i5-12400F is $36 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 58.4 pts/$ for the Core i3-10100 — making the Core i5-12400F the 101% better value option.