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

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $339 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 196.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 127W, a 62W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-9900KS

2019

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,397 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌95.4% higher power demand at 127W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Core i9-9900KS

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $339 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 196.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 127W, a 62W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,397 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌95.4% higher power demand at 127W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 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 i9-9900KS?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-9900KS is ahead with a 1.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12400F pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark.

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 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-12400F is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12400F is $339 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $513 MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-9900KS is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 196.9% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 37.8 PassMark/$), 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 2019), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i9-9900KS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
1080p
low	183 FPS	301 FPS
medium	168 FPS	273 FPS
high	139 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	266 FPS
medium	132 FPS	218 FPS
high	106 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	168 FPS
medium	81 FPS	139 FPS
high	64 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900KS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
1080p
low	471 FPS	449 FPS
medium	397 FPS	369 FPS
high	341 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	286 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	397 FPS
medium	351 FPS	344 FPS
high	309 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	255 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	267 FPS
medium	248 FPS	238 FPS
high	229 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900KS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
1080p
low	488 FPS	485 FPS
medium	488 FPS	485 FPS
high	488 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	429 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	485 FPS
medium	488 FPS	485 FPS
high	485 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	462 FPS
medium	389 FPS	401 FPS
high	337 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	283 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900KS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
1080p
low	488 FPS	485 FPS
medium	488 FPS	485 FPS
high	488 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	485 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	485 FPS
medium	488 FPS	485 FPS
high	488 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	485 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	485 FPS
medium	450 FPS	485 FPS
high	391 FPS	440 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	380 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Core i9-9900KS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Core i9-9900KS

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 i9-9900KS

The Core i9-9900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 127 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,397 points. Launch price was $513.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-9900KS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-9900KS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900KS — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900KS (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-9900KS uses Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Core i9-9900KS's 19,397 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900KS.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4 GHz+60%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)
PassMark	19,532	19,397
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 i9-9900KS uses LGA1151 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1151
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 i9-9900KS). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Core i9-9900KS
Integrated GPU	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Core i9-9900KS debuted at $513. On MSRP ($174 vs $513), the Core i5-12400F is $339 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 37.8 pts/$ for the Core i9-9900KS — making the Core i5-12400F the 99.2% better value option.