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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core 5 120

2025

Why buy it

✅+10.7% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 63.6 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $166 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core 5 120.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 21,629).

Core 5 120

2025

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅+10.7% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $166 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core 5 120.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 63.6 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 21,629).

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120 better than Core i5-12400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 7.9% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 pulls ahead with 10.7% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 is the better fit. You are getting 10.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core 5 120 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core 5 120 is 95.4% more expensive on MSRP at $340 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you 10.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-12400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.9% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 76.5% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 63.6 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core 5 120 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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 5 120 Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	170 FPS	183 FPS
medium	147 FPS	168 FPS
high	118 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	153 FPS
medium	123 FPS	132 FPS
high	99 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	87 FPS
medium	72 FPS	81 FPS
high	57 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	49 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i5-12400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	471 FPS	471 FPS
medium	401 FPS	397 FPS
high	338 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	301 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	407 FPS
medium	355 FPS	351 FPS
high	309 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	282 FPS
medium	243 FPS	248 FPS
high	223 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	196 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i5-12400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	541 FPS	488 FPS
medium	541 FPS	488 FPS
high	541 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	488 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	488 FPS
medium	491 FPS	488 FPS
high	445 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	434 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	442 FPS
medium	347 FPS	389 FPS
high	303 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	274 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i5-12400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	541 FPS	488 FPS
medium	541 FPS	488 FPS
high	541 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	488 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	488 FPS
medium	541 FPS	488 FPS
high	541 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	473 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	488 FPS
medium	499 FPS	450 FPS
high	440 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	330 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i5-12400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Core i5-12400F

Core 5 120

The Core 5 120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,629 points. Launch price was $211.

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

Both the Core 5 120 and Core i5-12400F share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core 5 120 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 10.2% lead for the Core 5 120. Both processors carry 18 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+2%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	Intel 7 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	21,629+11%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. On MSRP ($340 vs $174), the Core i5-12400F is $166 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 112.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 55.3% better value option.