Intel Core i5-12600 vs Intel Core i5-12400

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-12600 vs Intel Core i5-12400 tests and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming, video editing. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, 3DMark, SuperPi, Blender, WPrime, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, Furmark, PCMark 10, RealBench, UserBenchmark, PassMark, AIDA64, MATLAB.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

Grand Theft Auto V
Apex Legends
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Cyberpunk 2077
Borderlands 3
Overwatch
Rainbow Six Siege
Watch Dogs Legion
Valheim
Valorant
Halo Infinite
Fortnite
Last Man Standing
DOOM: Eternal
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Death Stranding
Red Dead Redemption 2

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12400 or Intel Core i5-12600.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-12600

57%

Core i5-12400

57%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12600

55%

Core i5-12400

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Control, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.6	97.5
Valorant	110.9	110.8
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	62.0
Apex Legends	104.3	104.1
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	83.1
Overwatch	89.8	89.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	76.4
DOOM Eternal	55.5	55.4
Warzone	86.5	86.4
Assassin's Creed	93.2	93.0
Valheim	92.1	91.9

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-12600

96%

Core i5-12400

91%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-12600 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12400 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i5-12400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	326	337
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2380	2465
Cinbench 20 Single-core	780	808
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5404	5598
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1824	1889
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17812	18452

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i5-12400
Single-Core	4273	4427
Multi-Core	24937	25834

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i5-12400
Single-Core	1877	1785
Multi-Core	9425	9275

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i5-12400
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCBGA1744
Core name	Alder Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	18 MB	18 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600 is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12400 is better: 8
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-12600 and Intel Core i5-12400 before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-12600 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-12600 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12400 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-12400 specs and review.