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

✅Costs $5 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7500F.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7500F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,727).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 149.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 7500F

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 33.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 149.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
2.9% HIGHER MSRP
$179 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 5 7500F

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $5 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7500F.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 33.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 149.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $174 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7500F across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 26,727).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 112.3 vs 149.3 PassMark/$ ($174 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
2.9% HIGHER MSRP
$179 MSRPvs$174 MSRP
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12400F.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7500F better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7500F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 31.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 36.8% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 7500F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 31.4% 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, Ryzen 5 7500F is the better fit. You are getting 36.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 7500F is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7500F is 2.9% more expensive on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 33.0% better value on MSRP (149.3 vs 112.3 PassMark/$), 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 LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i5-12400F can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Ryzen 5 7500F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 7500F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	183 FPS	246 FPS
medium	168 FPS	228 FPS
high	139 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	217 FPS
medium	132 FPS	182 FPS
high	106 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	151 FPS
medium	81 FPS	127 FPS
high	64 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	85 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7500F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	471 FPS	516 FPS
medium	397 FPS	434 FPS
high	341 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	327 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	442 FPS
medium	351 FPS	384 FPS
high	309 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	283 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	283 FPS
medium	248 FPS	250 FPS
high	229 FPS	233 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	203 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7500F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	488 FPS	668 FPS
medium	488 FPS	668 FPS
high	488 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	668 FPS
medium	488 FPS	668 FPS
high	485 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	606 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	524 FPS
medium	389 FPS	452 FPS
high	337 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	323 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7500F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
1080p
low	488 FPS	668 FPS
medium	488 FPS	668 FPS
high	488 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	668 FPS
medium	488 FPS	668 FPS
high	488 FPS	668 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	612 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	668 FPS
medium	450 FPS	590 FPS
high	391 FPS	521 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 5 7500F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 7500F

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 7500F

The Ryzen 5 7500F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 22 July 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,727 points. Launch price was $179.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 7500F share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7500F — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7500F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7500F uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 5 7500F's 26,727 — a 31.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 7500F. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7500F.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+48%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+78%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	19,532	26,727+37%
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 7500F uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
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	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) / not specified (Ryzen 5 7500F). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 5 7500F
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 Ryzen 5 7500F debuted at $179. On MSRP ($174 vs $179), the Core i5-12400F is $5 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 149.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7500F — making the Ryzen 5 7500F the 28.3% better value option.