Intel Core i5 12400F vs Core i5 12600KF: Which Is the Better CPU?

Both the Intel Core i5 12400F and the Core i5 12600KF are popular Core i5 processors in the 12th-gen series. Which is the better CPU? Let’s find out.

Picture of Intel Core i5 12400F vs Core i5 12600KF — Intel Core i5 12400F vs Core i5 12600KF (Image via Intel)

The Intel Core i5 12400F and Core i5 12600KF are two CPUs in the 12th-gen series. The former was designed as a budget processor, while the latter was meant to deliver high performance in the mid-range. However, they both belong to the same Core i5 category, which can be confusing for many. In this article, we are going to set the record straight and tell you which Core i5 processor is the best and which one you should buy.

Contents

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

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Intel Core i5 12400F vs Core i5 12600KF: Detailed Comparison

Both the Intel Core i5 12400F and the Core i5 12600KF are designed on the same Alder Lake architecture. However, the former is a locked CPU with a 4.4GHz clock speed only. On the other hand, the latter is a K-series processor, which is fully unlocked. It reaches up to 4.9GHz out of the box, but you can overclock it past 5GHz due to its unlocked design. There is a lot more to these two processors. Therefore, you should take a look at their specs to get a better idea of what they are capable of.

Specs Comparison

Picture of Intel Core processor — Intel Core processor (Image via Intel)

Here are the specs of the Intel Core i5 12400F and Core i5 12600KF:

Specifications	Intel Core i5 12400F	Intel Core i5 12600KF
Architecture	Zen 5	Zen 4
P-Core/Thread count	6/12	6/12
E-Core/Thread count	—-	4/4
Total Core/Thread count	6/12	10/16
Max clock speed	4.4 GHz	4.9 GHz
L3 cache	18 MB	20 MB
RAM support	DDR4-3200 DDR5-4800	DDR4-3200 DDR5-4800
PCIe Gen support	Gen 5	Gen 5
Platform Socket	LGA 1700	LGA 1700
Thermal design power (TDP)	65W Typical \| 117W Max	125W Typical \| 150W Max
Manufacturing nodes	10nm	10nm

According to the specs table, the Intel Core i5 12400F has a traditional six-core configuration. On the contrary, the Intel Core i5 12600KF’s core configuration is divided among the P- and E-cores. The P-cores handle performance tasks, while the E-cores are designed to take care of background tasks to improve efficiency, hence the name.

The Intel Core i5 12600KF is also equipped with more cores and has higher clock speeds than the Core i5 12400F. Therefore, it is obvious that the former will deliver more performance, but how much more is the question. Also, will the performance uplift be worth the higher cost? Let’s find out.

Synthetic Performance Comparison

Here’s how the Intel Core i5 12400F and Core i5 12600KF perform in popular synthetic benchmarks:

Benchmarks	Intel Core i5 12400F	Intel Core i5 12600KF
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)	1704	1902
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)	12047	17693
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)	2300	2598
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)	9477	12932
Passmark CPU (Single-Core)	3485	3924
Passmark CPU (Multi-Core)	19488	27597

In single-core benchmarks, the Intel Core i5 12600KF is around 12.4% faster on average than the Core i5 12400F. Similarly, the former is almost 42% faster than the latter in multi-core benchmarks. Now, that’s a huge performance uplift, and the four extra E-cores of the Core i5 12600KF are the reason behind it.

Game Performance Comparison

Here’s how the Intel Core i5 12400F and Core i5 12600KF handle some of the popular games on the market:

Games	Intel Core i5 12400F	Intel Core i5 12600KF
God of War 2018	186 FPS	214 FPS
Call of Duty Warzone	138 FPS	162 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	122 FPS	144 FPS
Hitman 3	156 FPS	181 FPS
Microsoft Flight Simulator	67 FPS	85 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	160 FPS	169 FPS
Horizon Zero Dawn	159 FPS	167 FPS
PUBG	207 FPS	236 FPS

Note: The two CPUs were tested at 1080p resolution with the RTX 3080 GPU to eliminate any GPU bottleneck. All FPS numbers were sourced from the Testing Games channel on YouTube.

On average, the Intel Core i5 12600KF achieves around 13.6% higher frame rates than the Core i5 12400F. That is a decent uplift, but nowhere close to the performance difference we saw on the productivity side. That’s because the higher core count of the Core i5 12600KF is not that helpful in gaming. It’s the higher 4.9GHz clock speed that helped this CPU deliver higher performance.

Price Comparison

Picture of Intel Core i5 12600KF — Intel Core i5 12600KF (Image via Intel)

The Intel Core i5 12400F is currently selling for $116 on Newegg. On the other hand, the Core i5 12600KF sells for around $159.99 on Newegg, which represents a 38% price premium over the other processor.

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Final Verdict on Intel Core i5 12400F vs Core i5 12600KF

The Intel Core i5 12600KF is up to 42% better than the Core i5 12400F in productivity and around 13.6% faster in gaming. However, the former is also 38% more expensive. Therefore, which CPU you should buy depends on a few criteria. If you plan to do content creation, live streaming, or productivity in addition to gaming, then consider buying the Core i5 12600KF. It is quite fast and will definitely benefit you, despite the higher cost.

However, if you only want to play games and nothing else, then get the Core i5 12400F and use the saved funds for other components, such as a better GPU.

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Intel Core i5 12400F vs Core i5 12600KF: Which Is the Better CPU?