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

✅Costs $1,825 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 657.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-7980XE.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 29,634).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 25 MB).

Core i9-7980XE

2017

Why buy it

✅+51.7% higher PassMark.
✅+37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).
✅120% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i9-7980XE

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,825 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 657.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i9-7980XE.

Why buy it

✅+51.7% higher PassMark.
✅+37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).
✅120% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 29,634).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 25 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-7980XE better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Core i9-7980XE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data and 51.7% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, the two CPUs are effectively a wash in the available data.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-7980XE is the better fit. You are getting 51.7% better PassMark, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Core i9-7980XE is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-7980XE is 1048.9% more expensive on MSRP at $1,999 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.3% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 657.2% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 14.8 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i5-12400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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 2017) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066. 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 i9-7980XE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	183 FPS	167 FPS
medium	168 FPS	147 FPS
high	139 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	140 FPS
medium	132 FPS	120 FPS
high	106 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	78 FPS
medium	81 FPS	71 FPS
high	64 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-7980XE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	471 FPS	470 FPS
medium	397 FPS	405 FPS
high	341 FPS	355 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	321 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	411 FPS
medium	351 FPS	361 FPS
high	309 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	265 FPS
medium	248 FPS	232 FPS
high	229 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	190 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-7980XE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	488 FPS	636 FPS
medium	488 FPS	530 FPS
high	488 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	567 FPS
medium	488 FPS	479 FPS
high	485 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	377 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	431 FPS
medium	389 FPS	354 FPS
high	337 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-7980XE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	488 FPS	741 FPS
medium	488 FPS	741 FPS
high	488 FPS	697 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	741 FPS
medium	488 FPS	680 FPS
high	488 FPS	578 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	501 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	532 FPS
medium	450 FPS	479 FPS
high	391 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	365 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-7980XE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-7980XE

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 i9-7980XE

The Core i9-7980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 29,634 points. Launch price was $1,999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-7980XE offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Core i9-7980XE has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-7980XE — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-7980XE uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-7980XE's 29,634 — a 41.1% lead for the Core i9-7980XE. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-7980XE.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	18 / 36+200%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.6 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24.75 MB (total)+38%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	19,532	29,634+52%
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 i9-7980XE uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i9-7980XE — 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. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 4 (Core i9-7980XE). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 44 (Core i9-7980XE) — the Core i9-7980XE offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
Socket	LGA1700	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	44+120%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-7980XE). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Core i9-7980XE targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-7980XE
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i9-7980XE debuted at $1999. On MSRP ($174 vs $1999), the Core i5-12400F is $1825 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 14.8 pts/$ for the Core i9-7980XE — making the Core i5-12400F the 153.3% better value option.