Core i5-12400F vs Xeon Gold 6138

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Xeon Gold 6138

20 Cores40 Thrd125 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

0.0%

24,108

+23.4%

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 Gold 6138

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

111%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

111%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

110%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

109%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

109%

#491

EPYC 7742

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800

108%

#492

Xeon Platinum 8352M

MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471

108%

#493

Xeon Platinum 8570

MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595

106%

#494

EPYC 9184X

MSRP: $4928|Avg: $3750

105%

#495

Xeon Platinum 8470

MSRP: $9359|Avg: $9359

104%

#496

Xeon E7-8857 v2

MSRP: $3838|Avg: $2995

102%

#497

Xeon Gold 6148

MSRP: $3072|Avg: $290

102%

#498

Xeon E5-1681 V3

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $200

101%

#499

Xeon W-3275

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $1550

101%

#500

Xeon Gold 6138

MSRP: $2612|Avg: $300

100%

#501

Xeon E5-2690 v4

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

100%

#502

Xeon Platinum 8362

MSRP: $6236|Avg: $5740

99%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

98%

#504

Xeon E5-2660 v3

MSRP: $1445|Avg: $150

98%

#505

Xeon E5-2679 v4

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $500

97%

#506

Xeon E5-2680 v3

MSRP: $1745|Avg: $212

92%

#507

Xeon Platinum 8562Y+

MSRP: $5945|Avg: $7000

91%

#508

Xeon E7-8895 v2

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $65

91%

#509

EPYC 9754

MSRP: $11900|Avg: $10631

90%

#509

EPYC 9684X

MSRP: $14756|Avg: $14756

90%

#511

Xeon D-1587

MSRP: $1652|Avg: $1443

89%

#512

Xeon E5-2687W v4

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $1138

89%

#513

Xeon W-3265

MSRP: $3684|Avg: $3400

89%

#514

Xeon E5-2658A V3

MSRP: $1832|Avg: $200

88%

#515

Xeon E5-4640 v4

MSRP: $2837|Avg: N/A

86%

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 ($300) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6138 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($300)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 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 ($190 less, 63% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+121%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($110)	⚠️ Higher cost ($300)

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 Gold 6138 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon Gold 6138

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 Gold 6138

The Xeon Gold 6138 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 24,108 points. Launch price was $2,612.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138 — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon Gold 6138's 24,108 — a 21% lead for the Xeon Gold 6138. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,261, a 29.7% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 15,439 (183.7% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	20 / 40+233%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+19%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+25%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	27.5 MB+53%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	20 MB+1500%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	19,532	24,108+23%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700+35%	1,261
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	15,439+2250%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2666 on the Xeon Gold 6138 — the Core i5-12400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6138 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6138). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6138) — the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and C621 (Xeon Gold 6138).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6138). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Xeon Gold 6138 targets Server. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 6138
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6138 debuted at $2612. At current prices ($110 vs $300), the Core i5-12400F is $190 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 177.6 pts/$ vs 80.4 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6138 — making the Core i5-12400F the 75.4% better value option.