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 i5-12400F

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.6% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅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 i9-11950H.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 20,699).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i9-11950H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Core i9-11950H

2021

Why buy it

✅+6% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌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

Core i9-11950H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.6% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅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 i9-11950H.

Why buy it

✅+6% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 20,699).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Core i9-11950H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Core i9-11950H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 9.6% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-11950H pulls ahead with 6% better PassMark. Core i9-11950H also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-11950H is the better fit. You are getting 6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 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 $174 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 9.6% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-11950H is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 6% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787. 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 i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Core i9-11950H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	183 FPS	247 FPS
medium	168 FPS	230 FPS
high	139 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	220 FPS
medium	132 FPS	185 FPS
high	106 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	154 FPS
medium	81 FPS	131 FPS
high	64 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-11950H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	471 FPS	343 FPS
medium	397 FPS	293 FPS
high	341 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	297 FPS
medium	351 FPS	266 FPS
high	309 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	194 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	176 FPS
medium	248 FPS	161 FPS
high	229 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	134 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-11950H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	488 FPS	517 FPS
medium	488 FPS	517 FPS
high	488 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	517 FPS
medium	488 FPS	501 FPS
high	485 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	428 FPS
medium	389 FPS	368 FPS
high	337 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	259 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-11950H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11950H
1080p
low	488 FPS	517 FPS
medium	488 FPS	517 FPS
high	488 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	517 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	517 FPS
medium	488 FPS	517 FPS
high	488 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	510 FPS
medium	450 FPS	458 FPS
high	391 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	348 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-11950H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-11950H

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.

Core i9-11950H

The Core i9-11950H 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 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: 20,699 points. Launch price was $556.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-11950H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-11950H has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-11950H — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-11950H (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-11950H uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-11950H's 20,699 — a 5.8% lead for the Core i9-11950H. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11950H.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11950H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	19,532	20,699+6%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-11950H uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-11950H
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (Core i9-11950H). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.