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 $96 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8700F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 18,040).

Ryzen 7 8700F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +46.7% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌
55.2% HIGHER MSRP
$270 MSRPvs$174 MSRP

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 7 8700F

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $96 less on MSRP ($174 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +46.7% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8700F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 18,040).

Trade-offs

❌
55.2% HIGHER MSRP
$270 MSRPvs$174 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8700F better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 7 8700F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 46.7% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 45.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 59.9% higher 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 7 8700F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 46.7% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 8700F is the better fit. You are getting 45.7% 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 8700F is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 8700F is 55.2% more expensive on MSRP at $270 MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 46.7% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 3.1% better value on MSRP (115.7 vs 112.3 PassMark/$), 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 7 8700F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 7 8700F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	183 FPS	266 FPS
medium	168 FPS	240 FPS
high	139 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	233 FPS
medium	132 FPS	190 FPS
high	106 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	158 FPS
medium	81 FPS	131 FPS
high	64 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 8700F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	471 FPS	483 FPS
medium	397 FPS	403 FPS
high	341 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	308 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	423 FPS
medium	351 FPS	374 FPS
high	309 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	273 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	283 FPS
medium	248 FPS	259 FPS
high	229 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 8700F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	488 FPS	781 FPS
medium	488 FPS	781 FPS
high	488 FPS	767 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	649 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	766 FPS
medium	488 FPS	629 FPS
high	485 FPS	544 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	463 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	530 FPS
medium	389 FPS	457 FPS
high	337 FPS	402 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	338 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 8700F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	488 FPS	781 FPS
medium	488 FPS	781 FPS
high	488 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	781 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	781 FPS
medium	488 FPS	781 FPS
high	488 FPS	692 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	602 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	615 FPS
medium	450 FPS	553 FPS
high	391 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	431 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 7 8700F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 7 8700F

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 8700F

The Ryzen 7 8700F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 31,240 points. Launch price was $270.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8700F offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 8700F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8700F — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4.1 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 8700F uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 7 8700F's 31,240 — a 46.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 8700F. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 18,040 (37.2% advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,649, a 43.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 8700F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 13,500 (181.4% advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8700F.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4.1 GHz+64%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	19,532	31,240+60%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	18,040+46%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,649+56%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	13,500+1955%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 8700F uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 8700F supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 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 XB650,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 8700F).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 8700F). Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 7 8700F targets High-performance Gaming w/ dGPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 7 8700F rivals Core i7-14700F.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 7 8700F
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	High-performance Gaming w/ dGPU

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12400F launched at $174 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 8700F debuted at $270. On MSRP ($174 vs $270), the Core i5-12400F is $96 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12400F delivers 112.3 pts/$ vs 115.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 8700F — making the Ryzen 7 8700F the 3% better value option.