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: +11.4% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $85 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 76.0 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600G.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 19,696).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 5600G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 5600G

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (Vega 7), while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 76.0 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($259 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 5 5600G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.4% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $85 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 76.0 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600G.

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (Vega 7), while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 19,696).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 5600G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 76.0 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($259 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 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 Ryzen 5 5600G?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 11.4% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600G pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600G is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% 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 $85 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $259 MSRP, and it gives you a 11.4% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 5600G is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.8% better PassMark. It is also 47.6% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 76.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 5600G can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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 AM4. 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

Ryzen 5 5600G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	183 FPS	204 FPS
medium	168 FPS	174 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	174 FPS
medium	132 FPS	145 FPS
high	106 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	83 FPS
medium	81 FPS	75 FPS
high	64 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 5600G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	471 FPS	367 FPS
medium	397 FPS	302 FPS
high	341 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	325 FPS
medium	351 FPS	272 FPS
high	309 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	211 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	248 FPS
medium	248 FPS	211 FPS
high	229 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	155 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 5600G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	488 FPS	492 FPS
medium	488 FPS	477 FPS
high	488 FPS	440 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	390 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	492 FPS
medium	488 FPS	416 FPS
high	485 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	327 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	356 FPS
medium	389 FPS	302 FPS
high	337 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 5600G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	488 FPS	492 FPS
medium	488 FPS	492 FPS
high	488 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	492 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	492 FPS
medium	488 FPS	492 FPS
high	488 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	492 FPS
medium	450 FPS	492 FPS
high	391 FPS	478 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	412 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 5600G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 5600G

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.

Ryzen 5 5600G

The Ryzen 5 5600G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,696 points. Launch price was $259.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 5600G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600G — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600G uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 5 5600G's 19,696 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600G. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600G.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.9 GHz+56%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Cezanne (2021−2025)
PassMark	19,532	19,696
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 Ryzen 5 5600G uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5600G — 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. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600G) — the Ryzen 5 5600G offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and AMD 400 series,AMD 500 series (Ryzen 5 5600G).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600G). The Ryzen 5 5600G includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (Vega 7)), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 5 5600G targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 5600G
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon Graphics (Vega 7)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600G debuted at $259. On MSRP ($174 vs $259), the Core i5-12400F is $85 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 76.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600G — making the Core i5-12400F the 38.5% better value option.