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: +34.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,112 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Delivers 754.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5117, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,897 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($1,286 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,112 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Delivers 754.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 112.3 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 5117, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-12400F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,897 vs 19,532).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($1,286 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core i5-12400F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12400F better than Xeon Gold 5117?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 5117 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, Core i5-12400F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 34.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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 15.6% 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 $1,112 cheaper on MSRP at $174 MSRP versus $1,286 MSRP, and it gives you a 34.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 754.3% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 13.1 PassMark/$), 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 2017), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 14/28. 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

Xeon Gold 5117 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	183 FPS	175 FPS
medium	168 FPS	140 FPS
high	139 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	139 FPS
medium	132 FPS	109 FPS
high	106 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	66 FPS
medium	81 FPS	55 FPS
high	64 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	471 FPS	189 FPS
medium	397 FPS	168 FPS
high	341 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	163 FPS
medium	351 FPS	149 FPS
high	309 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	106 FPS
medium	248 FPS	97 FPS
high	229 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	68 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	488 FPS	422 FPS
medium	488 FPS	422 FPS
high	488 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	406 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	422 FPS
medium	488 FPS	422 FPS
high	485 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	335 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	401 FPS
medium	389 FPS	310 FPS
high	337 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	488 FPS	422 FPS
medium	488 FPS	422 FPS
high	488 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	422 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	422 FPS
medium	488 FPS	422 FPS
high	488 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	415 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	422 FPS
medium	450 FPS	401 FPS
high	391 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Xeon Gold 5117

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Xeon Gold 5117

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 Gold 5117

The Xeon Gold 5117 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB. L2 cache: 14 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 16,897 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon Gold 5117 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5117 — a 44.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5117 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Xeon Gold 5117's 16,897 — a 14.5% lead for the Core i5-12400F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 19.25 MB on the Xeon Gold 5117.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 28+133%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+57%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+25%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	19.25 MB+7%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	14 MB+1020%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	19,532+16%	16,897
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 Xeon Gold 5117 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus 2400 on the Xeon Gold 5117 — the Xeon Gold 5117 supports 199.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 5117 supports up to 768 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12400F) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 5117). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 5117) — the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and C621 (Xeon Gold 5117).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	2400+47900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+17476167%	768
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 5117). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Xeon Gold 5117 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Xeon Gold 5117
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5117 debuted at $1286. On MSRP ($174 vs $1286), the Core i5-12400F is $1112 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 13.1 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5117 — making the Core i5-12400F the 158.1% better value option.