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 i5-11260H

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,459 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.2% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-11260H.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-11260H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i5-11260H

2021

Core i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.2% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i5-11260H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,459 vs 19,532).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i5-11260H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i5-11260H?

Yes. Core i5-12400F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 9.2% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data, 26.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-12400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 9.2% more average FPS across 34 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400F is the better fit. You are getting 26.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is at an unclear MSRP at $174 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 9.2% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12400F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787, 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i5-11260H Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	187 FPS	183 FPS
medium	153 FPS	168 FPS
high	126 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	153 FPS
medium	120 FPS	132 FPS
high	98 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	89 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	87 FPS
medium	73 FPS	81 FPS
high	58 FPS	64 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	49 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Core i5-12400F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	362 FPS	471 FPS
medium	292 FPS	397 FPS
high	262 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	301 FPS
1440p
low	327 FPS	407 FPS
medium	268 FPS	351 FPS
high	246 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	282 FPS
medium	235 FPS	248 FPS
high	214 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	196 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Core i5-12400F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	386 FPS	488 FPS
medium	386 FPS	488 FPS
high	386 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	488 FPS
1440p
low	386 FPS	488 FPS
medium	386 FPS	488 FPS
high	386 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	434 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	442 FPS
medium	373 FPS	389 FPS
high	312 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	274 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Core i5-12400F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11260H	Core i5-12400F
1080p
low	386 FPS	488 FPS
medium	386 FPS	488 FPS
high	386 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	488 FPS
1440p
low	386 FPS	488 FPS
medium	386 FPS	488 FPS
high	386 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	473 FPS
4K
low	386 FPS	488 FPS
medium	386 FPS	450 FPS
high	386 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	330 FPS

Open Core i5-11260H Open Core i5-12400F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11260H and Core i5-12400F

Core i5-11260H

The Core i5-11260H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,459 points. Launch price was $299.

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 i5-11260H and Core i5-12400F share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-11260H versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-11260H uses the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11260H scores 15,459 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 23.3% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i5-11260H vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Core i5-11260H	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+4%	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	10 nm SuperFin	Intel 7 nm-30%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-H (2021)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	15,459	19,532+26%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11260H uses the FCBGA1787 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-11260H	Core i5-12400F
Socket	FCBGA1787	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	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 i5-11260H) / 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.