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 9850HX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9850HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 51,665).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Ryzen 9 9850HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 610M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Core i5-12400F

2022

Ryzen 9 9850HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 9850HX.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 610M, while Core i5-12400F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 9850HX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,532 vs 51,665).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $174 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 9850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 9850HX better than Core i5-12400F?

Yes. Ryzen 9 9850HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 31.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 164.5% 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 9 9850HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 31.0% 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 9850HX is the better fit. You are getting 164.5% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 9850HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12400F makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 9850HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $174 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12400F is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9850HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 9 9850HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	183 FPS	268 FPS
medium	168 FPS	244 FPS
high	139 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	253 FPS
medium	132 FPS	207 FPS
high	106 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	175 FPS
medium	81 FPS	144 FPS
high	64 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	49 FPS	96 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	471 FPS	669 FPS
medium	397 FPS	576 FPS
high	341 FPS	433 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	375 FPS
1440p
low	407 FPS	564 FPS
medium	351 FPS	503 FPS
high	309 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	265 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	318 FPS
medium	248 FPS	288 FPS
high	229 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	488 FPS	849 FPS
medium	488 FPS	678 FPS
high	488 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	514 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	678 FPS
medium	488 FPS	542 FPS
high	485 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	434 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	484 FPS
medium	389 FPS	400 FPS
high	337 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
1080p
low	488 FPS	1072 FPS
medium	488 FPS	966 FPS
high	488 FPS	843 FPS
ultra	488 FPS	760 FPS
1440p
low	488 FPS	842 FPS
medium	488 FPS	747 FPS
high	488 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	473 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	488 FPS	619 FPS
medium	450 FPS	553 FPS
high	391 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	421 FPS

Open Core i5-12400F Open Ryzen 9 9850HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 9 9850HX

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 9850HX

The Ryzen 9 9850HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 51,665 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12400F packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 9850HX offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 9850HX has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 9850HX — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 9850HX (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-12400F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 9850HX uses Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12400F scores 19,532 against the Ryzen 9 9850HX's 51,665 — a 90.3% lead for the Ryzen 9 9850HX. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 9850HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.2 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+256%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Fire Range-HX (Zen 5) (2025)
PassMark	19,532	51,665+165%
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 9 9850HX uses FL1 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F versus 5600 on the Ryzen 9 9850HX — the Ryzen 9 9850HX supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 9850HX supports up to 192 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12400F) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 9850HX) — the Ryzen 9 9850HX offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F) and FL1 (Ryzen 9 9850HX).

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
Socket	LGA1700	FL1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	5600+111900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+69904967%	192
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen 9 9850HX). The Ryzen 9 9850HX includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 610M), while the Core i5-12400F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 9 9850HX rivals Core Ultra 7 255HX.

Feature	Core i5-12400F	Ryzen 9 9850HX
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon 610M
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming Performance/Value	—