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

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 8945H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 17,500).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 8945H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +28.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (12,380 vs 17,500).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8945H better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 8945H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 28.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 41.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 54.8% 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 9 8945H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 28.9% 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, Ryzen 9 8945H is the better fit. You are getting 41.4% 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 9 8945H is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 8945H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 28.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 8945H 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 9 8945H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	183 FPS	269 FPS
medium	168 FPS	243 FPS
high	139 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	236 FPS
medium	132 FPS	193 FPS
high	106 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	164 FPS
medium	81 FPS	136 FPS
high	64 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	470 FPS	511 FPS
medium	397 FPS	421 FPS
high	341 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	447 FPS
medium	351 FPS	388 FPS
high	309 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	295 FPS
medium	248 FPS	267 FPS
high	229 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	488 FPS	756 FPS
medium	488 FPS	756 FPS
high	488 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	756 FPS
medium	488 FPS	637 FPS
high	485 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	541 FPS
medium	389 FPS	473 FPS
high	337 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	355 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 8945H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	488 FPS	756 FPS
medium	488 FPS	756 FPS
high	488 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	754 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	756 FPS
medium	488 FPS	756 FPS
high	488 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	572 FPS
medium	450 FPS	511 FPS
high	391 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 9 8945H

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 9 8945H

The Ryzen 9 8945H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,240 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 8945H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 8945H has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945H — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 9 8945H's 30,240 — a 43% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 12,380 vs 17,500 (34.3% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,700 vs 2,617, a 42.5% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 657 vs 12,662 (180.3% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 8945H.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 8945H
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.2 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4 GHz+60%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	8 MB+540%
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	19,532	30,240+55%
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,380	17,500+41%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,700	2,617+54%
Geekbench 6 Multi	657	12,662+1827%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12400F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 8945H 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 FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945H).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 8945H
Socket	LGA1700	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
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 9 8945H). The Ryzen 9 8945H includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value, Ryzen 9 8945H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 9 8945H rivals Core i9-13900H.