Pentium 8500 vs Core i5-12400F

Pentium 8500

5 Cores6 Thrd9 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium 8500

5 / 6

2,900

0.0%

19,532

+573.5%

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. The Pentium 8500 is positioned at rank #991 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. 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 Pentium 8500

#979

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2023%

#980

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1994%

#981

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1830%

#982

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1822%

#983

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1805%

#985

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1743%

#986

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1672%

#987

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1669%

#988

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1624%

#991

Pentium 8500

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

100%

#992

A6-8500P

MSRP: $100|Avg: $16

100%

#994

Core i7-4700EQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $180

99%

#995

Core i3-8145UE

MSRP: $281|Avg: $50

99%

#996

Core i7-4712MQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $60

97%

#997

Core i7-3615QE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $100

97%

#998

Celeron M U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

97%

#999

3015Ce

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

96%

#1000

Core i7-4700MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

96%

#1001

Athlon II M340

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

96%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

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 Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-12400F delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium 8500 in both compute-intensive tasks (148.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium 8500	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-U (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: The Core i5-12400F leads not only in performance but also in value. It is effectively 45% cheaper ($110 vs $200) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium 8500	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1125%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)	✅ More affordable ($110)

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.

Pentium 8500 Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 8500 and Core i5-12400F

Pentium 8500

The Pentium 8500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-U (2022) architecture. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1781. Thermal design power (TDP): 9 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 2,900 points. Launch price was $69.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium 8500 packs 5 cores / 6 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-12400F has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Pentium 8500 versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — identical boost frequencies (base: 1 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Pentium 8500 uses the Alder Lake-U (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 8500 scores 2,900 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 148.3% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,250 vs 1,700, a 30.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 2,100 vs 657 (104.7% advantage for the Pentium 8500). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Pentium 8500 vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Pentium 8500	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	5 / 6	6 / 12+20%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	1 GHz	2.5 GHz+150%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+125%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-U (2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	2,900	19,532+574%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250	1,700+36%
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,100+220%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 8500 uses the FCBGA1781 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5-5200 memory speed. 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: 14 (Pentium 8500) vs 20 (Core i5-12400F) — the Core i5-12400F offers 6 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Pentium 8500) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Pentium 8500	Core i5-12400F
Socket	FCBGA1781	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5-5200	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	14	20+43%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. The Pentium 8500 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU)), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium 8500 targets Entry Level Laptop, Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Pentium 8500	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics (48 EU)	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Entry Level Laptop	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium 8500 launched at $200 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($200 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $90 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium 8500 delivers 14.5 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 169.8% better value option.