Core i5-12400F vs Core i7-6850K

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Core i7-6850K

6 Cores12 Thrd140 WWMax: 4 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

+71.7%

11,376

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 i7-6850K

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

16904%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

15973%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11598%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3494%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2768%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2421%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1387%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1369%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1246%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1246%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1232%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1199%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1182%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1177%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1167%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

99%

#827

Core i7-6850K

MSRP: $617|Avg: $80

100%

#828

Core i5-2500K

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

100%

#829

Pentium G3430

MSRP: $116|Avg: $30

99%

#830

Core i5-4570R

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

99%

#831

Pentium E5400

MSRP: $55|Avg: $49

99%

#832

A6-3650

MSRP: $115|Avg: $20

99%

#833

Core i7-4770R

MSRP: $360|Avg: $89

99%

#835

Core i7-2600

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

99%

#836

Pentium G870

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#837

Athlon II X2 210e

MSRP: $60|Avg: $28

98%

#838

Pentium G645

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

98%

#840

Pentium G630

MSRP: $75|Avg: $46

98%

#841

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

98%

#842

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i5-12400F (2022) utilizes Intel 7 nm technology and DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-6850K
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)	✅ More affordable ($80)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-E (2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-6850K (2016) relies on 14 nm technology and DDR4, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-6850K
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+25%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)	✅ More affordable ($80)

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 i7-6850K Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i7-6850K

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 i7-6850K

The Core i7-6850K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 May 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,376 points. Launch price was $475.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Core i7-6850K share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-6850K — a 9.5% 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 i7-6850K uses Broadwell-E (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i7-6850K's 11,376 — a 52.8% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,200, a 34.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 5,500 (157.3% advantage for the Core i7-6850K). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-6850K.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-6850K
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+10%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+44%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+20%	15 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Broadwell-E (2016)
PassMark	19,532+72%	11,376
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+42%	1,200
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	5,500+737%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6850K uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i7-6850K — 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. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 4 (Core i7-6850K). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 40 (Core i7-6850K) — the Core i7-6850K offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and X99 (Core i7-6850K).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-6850K
Socket	LGA1700	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	20	40+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-6850K). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i7-6850K targets HEDT. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i7-6850K
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	HEDT

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i7-6850K debuted at $617. At current prices ($110 vs $80), the Core i7-6850K is $30 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 142.2 pts/$ for the Core i7-6850K — making the Core i5-12400F the 22.1% better value option.