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: +8.0% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 7736U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 12,768).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7736U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7736U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7736U

2023

Why buy it

✅+3.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 680M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 7 7736U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.0% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 7736U.

Why buy it

✅+3.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 680M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 12,768).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7736U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7736U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7736U better than Core i5-12400F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-12400F is ahead with a 8.0% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7736U pulls ahead with 3.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7736U is the better fit. You are getting 3.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 7736U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 7736U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you 3.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The trade-off is that Core i5-12400F is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.0% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 7736U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 7 7736U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
1080p
low	183 FPS	166 FPS
medium	168 FPS	147 FPS
high	139 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	142 FPS
medium	132 FPS	121 FPS
high	106 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	79 FPS
medium	81 FPS	72 FPS
high	64 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 7736U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
1080p
low	471 FPS	428 FPS
medium	397 FPS	362 FPS
high	341 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	281 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	368 FPS
medium	351 FPS	321 FPS
high	309 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	245 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	253 FPS
medium	248 FPS	227 FPS
high	229 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	185 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 7736U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
1080p
low	488 FPS	542 FPS
medium	488 FPS	542 FPS
high	488 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	542 FPS
medium	488 FPS	510 FPS
high	485 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	355 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	432 FPS
medium	389 FPS	368 FPS
high	337 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 7736U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
1080p
low	488 FPS	542 FPS
medium	488 FPS	542 FPS
high	488 FPS	542 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	542 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	542 FPS
medium	488 FPS	542 FPS
high	488 FPS	542 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	504 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	529 FPS
medium	450 FPS	483 FPS
high	391 FPS	431 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	372 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 7736U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 7 7736U

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 7 7736U

The Ryzen 7 7736U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 21,696 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7736U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7736U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7736U — a 6.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7736U (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7736U uses Rembrandt-R (2023−2025) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 7 7736U's 21,696 — a 10.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 7736U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 12,768 (3.1% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7736U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 1,869, a 9.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 7736U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 8,020 (169.7% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7736U). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7736U.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.7 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	6 nm-14%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Rembrandt-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	19,532	21,696+11%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	12,768+3%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	1,869+10%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	8,020+1121%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 7736U uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i5-12400F supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and SoC (Ryzen 7 7736U).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
Socket	LGA1700	FP7
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	LPDDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 7 7736U). The Ryzen 7 7736U includes integrated graphics (Radeon 680M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 7 7736U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 7 7736U rivals Core i7-1255U.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 7736U
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 680M
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V (SVM)
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	Productivity