Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen 5 2600X

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Ryzen 5 2600X

6 Cores12 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.25 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

+40.7%

13,880

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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 Ryzen 5 2600X

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

1235%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

1167%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

847%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

255%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

202%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

177%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

101%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

100%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

91%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

91%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

90%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

88%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

86%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

86%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

85%

#16

Core Ultra 5 225F

MSRP: $231|Avg: $150

83%

#17

Core Ultra 7 265K

MSRP: $309|Avg: $285

82%

#18

Ryzen 9 3900

MSRP: $499|Avg: $150

81%

#19

Ryzen 5 3600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $90

80%

#20

Core i7-14700KF

MSRP: $384|Avg: $260

80%

#21

Core i7-14700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $270

77%

#22

Ryzen 5 4500

MSRP: $129|Avg: $85

75%

#23

Ryzen 5 5600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $115

74%

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 Ryzen 5 2600X in both compute-intensive tasks (33.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 2600X
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)	✅ More affordable ($55)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Zen+ (2018−2019) / 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: The Ryzen 5 2600X offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $55 (vs $110), it costs 50% less. While offering lower overall performance, it results in a 42% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i5-12400F.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 2600X
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+42%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)	✅ More affordable ($55)

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

Ryzen 5 2600X Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 2600X

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.

Ryzen 5 2600X

The Ryzen 5 2600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.25 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 13,880 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 2600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.25 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600X — a 3.5% 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 Ryzen 5 2600X uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 5 2600X's 13,880 — a 33.8% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 7,514 (48.9% advantage for the Core i5-12400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,242, a 31.1% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 5,247 (155.5% advantage for the Ryzen 5 2600X). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600X.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 2600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+4%	4.25 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+44%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	19,532+41%	13,880
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380+65%	7,514
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+37%	1,242
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	5,247+699%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 2600X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2933 on the Ryzen 5 2600X — the Core i5-12400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-12400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 2600X) — the Ryzen 5 2600X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 5 2600X).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 2600X
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 2600X). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 5 2600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 5 2600X rivals Core i5-9600K.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 2600X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 2600X debuted at $229. At current prices ($110 vs $55), the Ryzen 5 2600X is $55 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 252.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 2600X — making the Ryzen 5 2600X the 34.8% better value option.