Core i5-12400 Overview:
The Core i5-12400 and i5-12400F (which lacks integrated graphics but is otherwise identical to the standard SKU) are the next Intel processors to be released, following the debut of the higher-end Core i5-12600K, i7-12700K, and i9-12900K in early November alongside the Z690 motherboard chipset. Their launch will likely coincide with that of the Core i3-12100.
Core i5-12400 Release Date:
While the dates of the Core i5-12400 and 12400F’s release are officially unknown, it seems highly probable that they’ll become available for purchase on January 5, 2022. The H610 and B660 motherboard chipsets are rumored to be released on this date and it would make the most sense to release the corresponding CPU at the same time.
Since the i5-12400 won’t support overclocking a Z690 motherboard would be superfluous, so B660 is the most ideal board for this SKU. History also supports this assumption: B560 motherboards and the previous-generation Core i5-11400 released simultaneously on March 30, 2021.
Core i5-12400 Specs
According to French publication Comptoir Hardware who received an early prototype of the i5-12400, this CPU will feature 6 Golden Cove cores (dubbed P-cores by Intel) and 12 threads, the same as its past two predecessors. These P-cores are the most powerful and are most essential to performance. The i5-12400 will apparently lack the energy-efficient E-cores found in more expensive models.
It’s slated to have an 18MB L3 cache, a 50% improvement over the i5-11400, while its reported boost clock of 4.4GHz is the same. Keep in mind that this metric is relatively unimportant when comparing different CPU architectures.
It appears as if the i5-12400 will once again have a TDP of 65W, but as with past generations it should be expected to consume significantly more power at max load.
The base 12400 SKU will feature Intel’s improved UHD 770 graphics but these are still no match for Ryzen APUs like the 5600G and 5700G.
All Alder Lake processors adhere to Intel’s newest LGA 1700 socket standard, so you’ll need a 600-series Intel motherboard in order to use the i5-12400.
Core i5-12400 Price
While it’s impossible to say for sure, it’s a safe bet the Core i5-12400 will be priced at $182. Core i5-X400 processors have retailed at this price since at least the i5-9400 in 2018, so it would be somewhat surprising if Intel deviated from this pattern.
With that said, the i5-12600K did increase upon the i5-11600K’s retail price. We think this was most likely due to the additional cost of E-cores that the 11600K lacked, and since the i5-12400 has none of these its price should be unaffected.
Even in a worst case scenario it’s improbable that the i5-12400 will be marked up by more than $10-20 compared to the previous generation’s price, so unless Intel makes drastic and unforeseen changes it should still be at or below the $200 price point.
Core i5-12400 Gaming FPS Benchmarks
YouTube channel EJ Hardware posted gaming benchmarks comparing the i5-12400 with the i9-12900K and i5-11400. Benchmarks were all recorded using MSI’s Z690-A Pro motherboard, DDR4 RAM, and an RTX 3080 Ti. Benchmarks were recorded in 1080p.
| Game | Core i5-12400 Average FPS | Core i5-11400 Average FPS | Core i5-12400 Advantage (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witcher 3 | 324 | 301 | +7.6% |
| GTA V | 234 | 222 | +5.4% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 105 | 91 | +15.4% |
| Unknown | 224 | 180 | +24.4% |
| Unknown | 215 | 173 | +24.3% |
Core i5-12400 CPU-Z Benchmarks
CPU-Z benchmarks are also a useful test of the potency of a processor. According to Comptoir the i5-12400 scored 681.7 in single-core tests, on par with the i9-11900K. That’s pretty impressive considering how much cheaper the 12400 is.
For reference, this outscores all CPUs to date except for higher-end Alder Lake models and the 11900K, even besting Ryzen’s 5900X by about 33 points (or 5.2%)
In multi-core benchmarks it scored 4784. This is nearly on par with AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X (4880) at two-thirds the cost, and it’s a whopping 19.2% better than the i5-11400’s 4012.
Outlook
All signs point towards the i5-12400 being a dominant CPU. It will match the performance of the i5-11600K and Ryzen 5 5600X at a far better price, with the added bonus of DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. With so much upside, it will almost certainly be a fan-favorite and the most popular budget CPU.
