Ryzen 5 3500U vs Core i5-12400F

Ryzen 5 3500U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2019

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Ryzen 5 3500U

4 / 8

6,836

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

+185.7%

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 Ryzen 5 3500U is positioned at rank #614 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 Ryzen 5 3500U

#602

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

811%

#603

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

799%

#604

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

734%

#605

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

730%

#606

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

724%

#608

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

699%

#609

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

670%

#610

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

669%

#611

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

651%

#614

Ryzen 5 3500U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#622

Athlon II P320

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

98%

#625

Core 3 N355

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

97%

#628

Core i5-1335UE

MSRP: $312|Avg: $312

97%

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 Ryzen 5 3500U in both compute-intensive tasks (96.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Ryzen 5 3500U	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) / 12 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Ryzen 5 3500U	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($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.

Ryzen 5 3500U Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3500U and Core i5-12400F

Ryzen 5 3500U

The Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,836 points. Launch price was $149.

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 Ryzen 5 3500U packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-12400F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500U versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3500U uses the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3500U scores 6,836 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 96.3% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 3,545 vs 12,380 (111% advantage for the Core i5-12400F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 876 vs 1,700, a 64% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,898 vs 657 (97.1% advantage for the Ryzen 5 3500U). L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500U	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.4 GHz+19%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.5 GHz+19%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+350%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+150%
Process	12 nm	Intel 7 nm-42%
Architecture	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	6,836	19,532+186%
Cinebench R23 Multi	3,545	12,380+249%
Geekbench 6 Single	876	1,700+94%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898+189%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3500U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Ryzen 5 3500U versus DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F — 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: 12 (Ryzen 5 3500U) vs 20 (Core i5-12400F) — the Core i5-12400F offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Mobile (Ryzen 5 3500U) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500U	Core i5-12400F
Socket	FP5	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	12	20+67%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget, Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U; Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.