Core i5-12400F vs Xeon E-2126G

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Xeon E-2126G

6 Cores6 Thrd80 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

+87.1%

10,437

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 Xeon E-2126G

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

53840%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

10166%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

9032%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

6977%

#537

Xeon Platinum 8180

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363

99%

#538

Xeon Platinum 8280M

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223

97%

#539

Xeon Platinum 8280

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2940

95%

#540

Xeon E7-8891 v3

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $418

82%

#1001

Xeon E-2126G

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

100%

#1004

Xeon D-1531

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $250

97%

#1005

Xeon 5130

MSRP: $316|Avg: $10

96%

#1007

Xeon E5-4640 v3

MSRP: $2859|Avg: $300

94%

#1008

Xeon E5440

MSRP: $690|Avg: $37

89%

#1009

Xeon E5-2643

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50

87%

#1010

Xeon E5-2637

MSRP: $885|Avg: $40

87%

#1011

Xeon W3570

MSRP: $999|Avg: $15

85%

#1013

Xeon E5-4620

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $400

80%

#1014

Xeon E5-2680

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40

75%

#1016

Xeon E5-4640

MSRP: $2725|Avg: N/A

67%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($230) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E-2126G is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2126G
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($230)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-12400F ($110), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($120 less, 52% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2126G
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+291%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($230)

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

Xeon E-2126G Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon E-2126G

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.

Xeon E-2126G

The Xeon E-2126G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 July 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 10,437 points. Launch price was $255.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, matching the Xeon E-2126G's 6 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon E-2126G — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2126G (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon E-2126G uses Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon E-2126G's 10,437 — a 60.7% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2126G.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2126G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 6
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+50%	12 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)	Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)
PassMark	19,532+87%	10,437
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E-2126G uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2126G
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (Xeon E-2126G). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2126G
Integrated GPU	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon E-2126G debuted at $2702. At current prices ($110 vs $230), the Core i5-12400F is $120 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 45.4 pts/$ for the Xeon E-2126G — making the Core i5-12400F the 118.6% better value option.