Intel Core i5 12400F vs AMD Ryzen 5 8400F: Which Is the Better CPU?

The Intel Core i5 12400F and AMD Ryzen 5 8400F are two six-core CPUs. Today, we will find which one is better and which one you should buy.

Picture of Intel Core i5 12400F vs AMD Ryzen 5 8400F — Intel Core i5 12400F vs AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (Image via Intel | AMD)

Contents

The Intel Core i5 12400F is quite popular among budget users due to its robust performance, six-core configuration, DDR5 RAM, and more. The Ryzen 5 8400F is AMD’s budget alternative to the Core i5 12400F and is equipped with the same 6-core configuration. But which is the best 6-core CPU, and which one should you buy? That’s exactly what we plan to answer in this article with a detailed comparison of the two processors. Read on to learn more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

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Intel Core i5 12400F vs AMD Ryzen 5 8400F: Detailed Comparison

The Core i5 12400F belongs to Intel’s 12th Generation and is built on the Alder Lake architecture. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 8400F is based on the Zen 4 architecture, but with some limitations that we will examine in the specifications section below.

Specs Comparison

Picture of AMD Ryzen 5 8400F — AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (Image via AMD)

Here are the specs of the Intel Core i5 12400F and Ryzen 5 8400F:

Specifications	Intel Core i5 12400F	AMD Ryzen 5 8400F
Architecture	Alder Lake	Zen 4
Core/Thread count	6/12	6/12
Max clock speed	4.4 GHz	4.7 GHz
L3 cache	18 MB	16 MB
RAM support	DDR4-3200 DDR5-4800	DDR5-5200
PCIe Gen support	Gen 5	Gen 4
Platform Socket	LGA 1700	AM4
Thermal design power (TDP)	65W Typical \| 117W Max	65W Typical \| 88W Max
Manufacturing nodes	10nm	4nm, 6nm

According to the specs table, the Intel Core i5 12400F and AMD Ryzen 5 8400F are quite similar, but with their own set of pros and cons. For example, the Intel chip has support for both DDR4 and DDR5. Therefore, it is perfect for budget users as well as those who want the highest performance. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 8400F is built on the AM5 platform, which allows for future upgrades.

Synthetic Performance Comparison

Here’s how Intel Core i5 12400F and Ryzen 5 8400F perform in popular synthetic benchmarks:

Benchmarks	Intel Core i5 12400F	AMD Ryzen 5 8400F
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)	1704	1601
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)	12047	10972
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)	2300	2541
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)	9477	12058
Passmark CPU (Single-Core)	3483	3688
Passmark CPU (Multi-Core)	19464	24555

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F delivered around 4.5% more performance in single-core benchmarks than the Intel Core i5 12400F. In multi-core benchmarks, the former was 16% faster than the latter. Now, that’s a double-digit performance advantage for the AMD CPU. It will be interesting to see how the two processors perform in actual gaming.

Game Performance Comparison

Here’s how the Intel Core i5 12400F and AMD Ryzen 5 8400F handle some of the popular games on the market:

Games	Intel Core i5 12400F	AMD Ryzen 5 8400F
Red Dead Redemption 2	126 FPS	135 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	72 FPS	69 FPS
Starfield	89 FPS	86 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	209 FPS	196 FPS
Ghost of Tsushima	137 FPS	121 FPS
Hogwarts Legacy	63 FPS	62 FPS
Horizon Forbidden West	136 FPS	132 FPS
The Witcher 3 Next-Gen	88 FPS	83 FPS

Note: The two CPUs were tested at 1080p resolution with the RTX 4090 GPU to eliminate any GPU bottleneck. All FPS numbers were sourced from the Testing Games channel on YouTube.

On average, the Intel Core i5 12400F delivered 4% more FPS than the Ryzen 5 8400F. However, that’s not much of a performance advantage now. The Ryzen CPU scored lower in all games except Red Dead Redemption 2. The Intel chip is better for gaming overall.

Price Comparison

Picture of Intel Core i5 12400F — Intel Core i5 12400F (Image via Intel)

The Intel Core i5 12400F usually sells for around $116 on Amazon, while the Ryzen 5 8400F is currently selling for $177.49 on Amazon. Therefore, the latter is around 53% more expensive than the former. The Ryzen 5 8400F comes down to around $150-ish once in a while, but even then, it still costs more than the Intel CPU.

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Final Verdict on Intel Core i5 12400F vs AMD Ryzen 5 8400F

The Ryzen 5 8400F scores around 4.5% higher single-core and 16% higher multi-core performance than the Intel Core i5 12400F. However, the Intel CPU is better in gaming by around 4%, and it also costs around $61 less. Therefore, the Intel Core i5 12400F is the better processor, and that’s the one you should buy.

However, if you plan to upgrade sometime in the next four to five years, then buying the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F would be better. It is built on the AM5 platform, which should support the upcoming Zen 6 processors and higher generations.

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Intel Core i5 12400F vs AMD Ryzen 5 8400F: Which Is the Better CPU?