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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.
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.
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
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 vs 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
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.
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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