Core i5-12400F vs Core i9-12900

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Core i9-12900

16 Cores24 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

33,695

+72.5%

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 i9-12900

#229

Core i5-10600

MSRP: $244|Avg: $159

106%

#230

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G

MSRP: $193|Avg: $100

106%

#231

Core i7-8700B

MSRP: $303|Avg: $139

106%

#232

Ryzen 3 2200G

MSRP: $99|Avg: $80

105%

#233

Core i3-9100F

MSRP: $97|Avg: $80

104%

#234

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

MSRP: $479|Avg: $479

104%

#235

Ryzen 9 3900XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $390

104%

#236

Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

103%

#237

Core i7-14700T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $384

103%

#238

Core i3-13100TE

MSRP: $137|Avg: $137

102%

#239

Core i5-9600T

MSRP: $213|Avg: $118

101%

#240

Core i5-12400T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

101%

#241

Core i9-14900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $579

101%

#242

Celeron G6900E

MSRP: $53|Avg: $53

100%

#243

Core i3-12300T

MSRP: $209|Avg: $164

100%

#244

Core i9-12900

MSRP: $519|Avg: $420

100%

#245

Ryzen 3 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

100%

#246

Core i7-11700KF

MSRP: $374|Avg: $299

99%

#247

Core i5-10600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $179

99%

#248

Core i3-10325

MSRP: $154|Avg: $130

99%

#249

Ryzen Embedded V2718

MSRP: $250|Avg: $200

99%

#250

Core i7-8086K

MSRP: $425|Avg: $178

99%

#251

Core i3-10300T

MSRP: $157|Avg: $100

98%

#252

Core i9-10900TE

MSRP: $309|Avg: $180

98%

#253

Core i9-12900T

MSRP: $489|Avg: $378

98%

#254

Core i5-12600T

MSRP: $223|Avg: $223

97%

#255

Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $180

97%

#256

Ryzen 7 1700X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $60

49%

#256

Ryzen 5 3500X

MSRP: $155|Avg: $171

96%

#257

Core i9-14900

MSRP: $524|Avg: $589

96%

#258

Core i5-8600

MSRP: $213|Avg: $130

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i9-12900 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (53.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-12900
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($420)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / 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 $420), it costs 74% less. While offering lower overall performance, it results in a 121% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i9-12900.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-12900
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+121%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($420)

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 i9-12900 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-12900

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 i9-12900

The Core i9-12900 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 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 30 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: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 33,695 points. Launch price was $489.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-12900 offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i9-12900 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-12900 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). Both are built on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture using a Intel 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-12900's 33,695 — a 53.2% lead for the Core i9-12900. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-12900
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 24+167%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+4%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+67%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	19,532	33,695+73%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 3.0. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus 4800 on the Core i9-12900 — the Core i9-12900 supports 199.6% 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 Z690,B660 (Core i9-12900).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-12900
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	4800+95900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
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 i9-12900). The Core i9-12900 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 i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Core i9-12900 rivals Ryzen 9 5900.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-12900
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
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 i9-12900 debuted at $519. At current prices ($110 vs $420), the Core i5-12400F is $310 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 80.2 pts/$ for the Core i9-12900 — making the Core i5-12400F the 75.5% better value option.