Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen 5 5600
The Core i5-12400F is about 5% faster in games than the Ryzen 5 5600 (132 vs 126 FPS frame rate limit).
Quick verdict: the Core i5-12400F is a little faster, but the gap is small enough that price and platform should decide it.
The two budget six-core chips that built most entry gaming PCs of the last few years. Both are close in games; the 5600 drops into older AM4 boards, while the 12400F starts you on LGA 1700 with the option of DDR5.
Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen 5 5600: Specs and Performance
| Spec | Core i5-12400F | Ryzen 5 5600 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming frame rate limit | 132 FPS | 126 FPS |
| Multi-core score (12 threads) | 4,764 | 4,674 |
| Cores | 6 | 6 |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base clock | 2.5 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz |
| Socket | LGA 1700 | AM4 |
| Memory | DDR4 or DDR5 | DDR4 |
| Release year | 2022 | 2022 |
| Generation | Intel 12th Gen (Alder Lake) | AMD Ryzen 5000 Series (Zen 3) |
Estimated FPS With an RTX 5080
A processor's gaming performance only shows when the graphics card is not the limit. With an RTX 5080, 1080p favours the Core i5-12400F by 5%, 1440p favours the Core i5-12400F by 5%, 4K is a tie, which is why the higher the resolution, the less the processor matters. Figures come from our performance model, not from measurements on your PC.
Frame Rate Limit in Popular Games
| Game (settings) | Core i5-12400F | Ryzen 5 5600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) | ~110 | ~105 |
| Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) | ~165 | ~160 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) | ~145 | ~140 |
| Counter-Strike 2 (High) | ~290 | ~275 |
The most frames each processor can feed in that game with an unlimited graphics card, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Your real frame rate is the lower of this and what your card can render.
Verdict: Core i5-12400F or Ryzen 5 5600?
The Core i5-12400F is about 5% faster in games than the Ryzen 5 5600 (132 vs 126 FPS frame rate limit). That ceiling only matters when the graphics card is fast enough to reach it: at 1080p with a high-end card you will see most of the gap, at 4K very little of it.
In multi-threaded work the two score within 2% of each other when run on 12 threads.
They sit on different platforms: the Core i5-12400F uses LGA 1700 with DDR4 or DDR5, the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4 with DDR4. Switching between them means a new motherboard and possibly new memory, which often costs more than the gap between the processors.
Bottom line: the Core i5-12400F is a little faster, but the gap is small enough that price and platform should decide it.
Which Graphics Card Should You Pair With Them?
Each processor's own page lists the graphics cards it is best matched with at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, and the cards it would hold back:
Related CPU Comparisons
- Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen 5 5600X Core i5-12400F 5% faster in games
- Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen 5 5500 Ryzen 5 5600 17% faster in games
- Core i5-12400F vs Core i5-10400F Core i5-12400F 40% faster in games
- Ryzen 7 5800X vs Ryzen 7 5700X Effectively tied in games
- Ryzen 7 5800X vs Core i7-10700K Ryzen 7 5800X 13% faster in games
- Compare any two processorsThe full CPU vs CPU tool
Core i5-12400F vs Ryzen 5 5600: Common Questions
Is the Core i5-12400F better than the Ryzen 5 5600?
The Core i5-12400F is a little faster, but the gap is small enough that price and platform should decide it. The Core i5-12400F is about 5% faster in games than the Ryzen 5 5600 (132 vs 126 FPS frame rate limit).
Which is better for gaming, the Core i5-12400F or the Ryzen 5 5600?
The Core i5-12400F, with a model frame rate limit of 132 FPS against 126. With an RTX 5080 at 1440p that works out to about 132 FPS for the Core i5-12400F and 126 FPS for the Ryzen 5 5600.
Which is better for streaming and productivity?
On 12 threads the Core i5-12400F scores 2% higher in our multi-core benchmark data. Beyond that, the chip with more cores and threads (Core i5-12400F, 12 threads) handles streaming, rendering and encoding better.
Can I swap the Ryzen 5 5600 for the Core i5-12400F on the same motherboard?
No. The Core i5-12400F uses LGA 1700 and the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4, so you would need a new motherboard and possibly new memory (DDR4 or DDR5 vs DDR4).
Data last reviewed October 15, 2026. See the methodology for how every figure is produced.