Core i5-12400F vs Core i9-11900KF

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Core i9-11900KF

8 Cores16 Thrd125 WWMax: 5.2 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

24,585

+25.9%

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 i9-11900KF

#264

Processor 300T

MSRP: $82|Avg: $82

105%

#265

Athlon 3000G

MSRP: $49|Avg: $60

105%

#266

Athlon 220GE

MSRP: $65|Avg: $60

105%

#267

Ryzen 9 3900X

MSRP: $499|Avg: $441

105%

#268

Core i5-10500

MSRP: $200|Avg: $178

104%

#269

Celeron G6900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $50

104%

#270

Core i9-10850K

MSRP: $453|Avg: $300

104%

#271

Core i9-13900E

MSRP: $554|Avg: $554

104%

#272

Core i9-9820X

MSRP: $889|Avg: $280

104%

#273

Core i9-9900X

MSRP: $989|Avg: $300

102%

#274

Ryzen 7 1800X

MSRP: $499|Avg: $120

46%

#274

Core i7-9700K

MSRP: $385|Avg: $200

102%

#275

Core i3-10320

MSRP: $154|Avg: $140

101%

#276

Core i5-9600KF

MSRP: $262|Avg: $150

101%

#277

Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE

MSRP: $180|Avg: $180

101%

#278

Ryzen Threadripper 1900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $116

44%

#278

Core i7-14701TE

MSRP: $392|Avg: $390

100%

#279

Core i9-11900KF

MSRP: $513|Avg: $349

100%

#279

Ryzen Threadripper 1920X

MSRP: $799|Avg: $265

41%

#280

Core i7-7820X

MSRP: $599|Avg: $198

41%

#280

Athlon Silver 3050GE

MSRP: $75|Avg: $65

99%

#281

Core i7-9700E

MSRP: $259|Avg: $180

99%

#282

Core i7-11700K

MSRP: $399|Avg: $350

99%

#283

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

MSRP: $329|Avg: $330

98%

#283

Ryzen Threadripper 1920

MSRP: $799|Avg: $200

39%

#284

Core i7-14701E

MSRP: $392|Avg: $380

98%

#284

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

39%

#285

Core i5-10400

MSRP: $182|Avg: $175

97%

#286

Core i3-12100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $180

97%

#287

Core Ultra 9 285T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $549

95%

#288

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

31%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i9-11900KF delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (22.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11900KF
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($349)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Rocket Lake (2021) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: The Core i5-12400F offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $110 (vs $349), it costs 68% less. While offering lower overall performance, it results in a 152% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i9-11900KF.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11900KF
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+152%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($349)

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 i9-11900KF Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-11900KF

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 i9-11900KF

The Core i9-11900KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 24,585 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-11900KF offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-11900KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-11900KF — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900KF (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-11900KF uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-11900KF's 24,585 — a 22.9% lead for the Core i9-11900KF. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 15,500 (22.4% advantage for the Core i9-11900KF). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900KF.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11900KF
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.2 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 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)	Rocket Lake (2021)
PassMark	19,532	24,585+26%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	15,500+25%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-11900KF uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-3200 on the Core i9-11900KF — 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. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and Z590,B560 (Core i9-11900KF).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11900KF
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	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, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-11900KF). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11900KF
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i9-11900KF debuted at $513. At current prices ($110 vs $349), the Core i5-12400F is $239 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 70.4 pts/$ for the Core i9-11900KF — making the Core i5-12400F the 86.4% better value option.