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 i3-13100F

2023

Why buy it

✅+1053.3% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $65 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 134.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($109 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +38.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 7,577).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 134.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Core i3-13100F

2023

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅+1053.3% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $65 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 134.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($109 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +38.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (657 vs 7,577).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 134.4 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-13100F better than Core i5-12400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 38.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-13100F pulls ahead with 1053.3% better Geekbench multi-core. Core i5-12400F also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-13100F is the better fit. You are getting 1053.3% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core i3-13100F is the smarter buy today. Core i3-13100F is $65 cheaper on MSRP at $109 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you 1053.3% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Core i5-12400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 38.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 19.7% better value on MSRP (134.4 vs 112.3 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core i3-13100F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 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 i3-13100F Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	171 FPS	183 FPS
medium	150 FPS	168 FPS
high	120 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	153 FPS
medium	123 FPS	132 FPS
high	97 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	87 FPS
medium	73 FPS	81 FPS
high	57 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	49 FPS

Open Core i3-13100F Open Core i5-12400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	291 FPS	471 FPS
medium	243 FPS	397 FPS
high	220 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	301 FPS
1440p
low	250 FPS	407 FPS
medium	210 FPS	351 FPS
high	196 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	185 FPS	282 FPS
medium	158 FPS	248 FPS
high	133 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	196 FPS

Open Core i3-13100F Open Core i5-12400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	366 FPS	488 FPS
medium	366 FPS	488 FPS
high	366 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	346 FPS	488 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	488 FPS
medium	366 FPS	488 FPS
high	342 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	309 FPS	434 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	442 FPS
medium	297 FPS	389 FPS
high	257 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	274 FPS

Open Core i3-13100F Open Core i5-12400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	366 FPS	488 FPS
medium	366 FPS	488 FPS
high	366 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	366 FPS	488 FPS
1440p
low	366 FPS	488 FPS
medium	366 FPS	488 FPS
high	366 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	366 FPS	473 FPS
4K
low	366 FPS	488 FPS
medium	366 FPS	450 FPS
high	366 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	366 FPS	330 FPS

Open Core i3-13100F Open Core i5-12400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-13100F and Core i5-12400F

Core i3-13100F

The Core i3-13100F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 58 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 14,649 points. Launch price was $109.

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 Core i3-13100F 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 4.5 GHz on the Core i3-13100F versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i3-13100F (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i3-13100F uses the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-13100F scores 14,649 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 28.6% lead for the Core i5-12400F. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,272 vs 1,700, a 28.8% lead for the Core i3-13100F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 7,577 vs 657 (168.1% advantage for the Core i3-13100F). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-13100F vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+2%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+36%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	14,649	19,532+33%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	2,272+34%	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,577+1053%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core i3-13100F supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: LGA1700 (Core i3-13100F) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Core i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-13100F) vs 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 i3-13100F	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-13100F launched at $109 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. On MSRP ($109 vs $174), the Core i3-13100F is $65 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-13100F delivers 134.4 pts/$ vs 112.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i3-13100F the 18% better value option.