Ryzen 9 5900X vs Core i5-12400F

Ryzen 9 5900X

12 Cores24 Thrd105 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2020

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Ryzen 9 5900X

12 / 24

38,955

+99.4%

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

Core i5-12400F

6 / 12

19,532

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 Ryzen 9 5900X

#141

Core i9-13900K

MSRP: $599|Avg: $500

105%

#142

Core i3-14100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $131

104%

#143

Ryzen 5 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

103%

#144

Core i7-10700KF

MSRP: $405|Avg: $160

103%

#145

Core i5-11600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $170

103%

#146

Core i7-13700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $400

103%

#147

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

102%

#148

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $150

102%

#149

Core i9-12900KS

MSRP: $739|Avg: $385

102%

#150

Ryzen 5 5500X3D

MSRP: $185|Avg: $180

101%

#151

Core Ultra 7 265T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $362

101%

#152

Ryzen 3 3200GE

MSRP: $85|Avg: $64

101%

#153

Core i3-9100T

MSRP: $122|Avg: $50

101%

#154

Ryzen 5 4600G

MSRP: $154|Avg: $143

100%

#155

Core i7-13700T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $250

100%

#156

Ryzen 9 5900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $350

100%

#157

Core i7-13700F

MSRP: $359|Avg: $345

100%

#158

Core i5-13600T

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

99%

#159

Ryzen 5 3400GE

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

99%

#160

Core i7-12700F

MSRP: $314|Avg: $275

99%

#161

Core i5-9400

MSRP: $192|Avg: $85

99%

#162

Core i3-13100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $128

99%

#163

Core i9-10910

MSRP: $488|Avg: $200

96%

#164

Core i5-14600T

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

96%

#165

Core i5-11500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $120

95%

#166

Ryzen 7 5700X3D

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

95%

#167

Ryzen 3 8300GE

MSRP: $129|Avg: $129

95%

#168

Core i3-13100T

MSRP: $134|Avg: $122

94%

#169

Core i5-10600T

MSRP: $213|Avg: $110

94%

#170

Ryzen 3 3200G

MSRP: $100|Avg: $67

94%

#171

Core Ultra 9 285

MSRP: $589|Avg: $550

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 Ryzen 9 5900X delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-12400F in both compute-intensive tasks (66.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Ryzen 9 5900X	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($350)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) / 7 nm, 12 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: The Core i5-12400F offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $110 (vs $350), it costs 69% less. While offering lower overall performance, it results in a 60% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Insight	Ryzen 9 5900X	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+60%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($350)	✅ 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.

Ryzen 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900X and Core i5-12400F

Ryzen 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

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 9 5900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 66.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 21,000 vs 12,380 (51.6% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,174 vs 1,700, a 24.5% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,888 vs 657 (179.1% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+9%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+48%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+256%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+150%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	38,955+99%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,000+70%	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	2,174+28%	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,888+1709%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 5900X 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. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 9 5900X) vs 20 (Core i5-12400F) — the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 9 5900X) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Core i5-12400F
Socket	AM4	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation, Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K; Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Workstation	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 5900X launched at $549 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($350 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $240 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 111.3 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 45.9% better value option.