Core i5-12400F vs Xeon E-2468

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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E-2468.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2468 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,652).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2468, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Xeon E-2468 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E-2468

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.6% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Xeon E-2468

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E-2468.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.6% higher average FPS across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2468 across 6 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,652).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2468, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Xeon E-2468 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2468 better than Core i5-12400F?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2468 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-12400F is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon E-2468 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.6% more average FPS across 6 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2468 is the better fit. You are getting 36.5% 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?

Xeon E-2468 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E-2468 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.6% average FPS lead across 6 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon E-2468 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB), 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

Xeon E-2468 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2468
1080p
low	183 FPS	254 FPS
medium	168 FPS	245 FPS
high	139 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	220 FPS
medium	132 FPS	189 FPS
high	106 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	132 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	152 FPS
medium	81 FPS	130 FPS
high	64 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon E-2468

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2468
1080p
low	471 FPS	616 FPS
medium	397 FPS	522 FPS
high	341 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	533 FPS
medium	351 FPS	467 FPS
high	309 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	342 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	313 FPS
medium	248 FPS	280 FPS
high	229 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon E-2468

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2468
1080p
low	488 FPS	646 FPS
medium	488 FPS	529 FPS
high	488 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	588 FPS
medium	488 FPS	489 FPS
high	485 FPS	425 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	369 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	424 FPS
medium	389 FPS	369 FPS
high	337 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	285 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon E-2468

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2468
1080p
low	488 FPS	666 FPS
medium	488 FPS	666 FPS
high	488 FPS	666 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	652 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	666 FPS
medium	488 FPS	666 FPS
high	488 FPS	608 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	535 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	536 FPS
medium	450 FPS	490 FPS
high	391 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	382 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon E-2468

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon E-2468

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.

Xeon E-2468

The Xeon E-2468 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 26,652 points. Launch price was $426.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E-2468 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E-2468 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Xeon E-2468 — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2468 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon E-2468 uses Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon E-2468's 26,652 — a 30.8% lead for the Xeon E-2468. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 24 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2468.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2468
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.2 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.6 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
PassMark	19,532	26,652+36%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	—

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon E-2468
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (Xeon E-2468). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.