Intel Core i5 12400 6-core LGA1700
The 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake-S design delivers a 4.4GHz boost clock and a strong 18,800 PassMark multi-core score, making it a durable workhorse for sustained productivity. Its 65W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide flexible, cost-effective platform choices without sacrificing modern PCIe 5.0 connectivity. This processor is best for budget-conscious system builders who need reliable performance for office multitasking and efficiency-focused workloads.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong social proof (97th percentile) 97th
- Strong platform (89th percentile) 89th
- Strong single thread (86th percentile) 86th
- Strong efficiency (84th percentile) 84th
Cons
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
- Q2 202688/100
Buyers in Q2 2026 praised the CPU's excellent value, gaming performance, and cool operation. One noted the stock cooler's mounting issues, requiring an aftermarket purchase.
- Excellent value for money, with strong performance in gaming and desktop tasks at a low price.
- Great gaming performance, handling AAA titles and even playable without a dedicated GPU for less demanding games.
- Runs cool with an AIO, temperatures between 30-55°C in a mini ITX build.
- Stock cooler mounting issues: push-pin design didn't align with existing holes, requiring an aftermarket cooler.
- Q2 202293/100
Buyers in Q2 2022 praised the CPU's performance and value, noting it rivals higher-end models. One mentioned the included cooler doesn't fit, but overall sentiment is very positive.
- Excellent performance for the price, with one buyer noting it's barely slower than a top-tier i9.
- Quiet operation, with one user unable to hear the fan during gaming.
- Included cooler doesn't fit over the CPU socket, but this is only an issue if you plan to use it.
- Great value compared to older generation CPUs, offering significant speed and reliability improvements.
- Q1 202295/100
Buyers in Q1 2022 praised the i5-12400 as a top budget CPU, noting excellent performance, value, and cool stock cooler temps. It was recommended over the 5600X, with one user upgrading from an older i7.
- Exceptional value and performance for the price, often recommended over AMD 5600X.
- Stock cooler performs well, with idle temps around 30-35C and gaming under 70C.
- Significant upgrade from older CPUs like i7-4790K, improving overall system performance.
- Stock cooler is adequate but not the best; a better tower cooler is suggested if budget allows.
Based on 18 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| Brand | Intel |
| Series | Core i5 |
| Model | 12400 |
| Codename | Alder Lake |
| Class | desktop |
| Process | 7 |
Cores & Clocks
| Cores | 6 |
| P-cores | 6 |
| Threads | 12 |
| Base Clock | 2500 |
| Boost Clock | 4400 |
Cache
| L2 Cache | 7.5 |
| L3 Cache | 18 MB |
Performance
| PassMark Multi | 18810 |
| PassMark Single | 3463 |
Memory
| Memory Type | DDR5 |
| Max Speed | 4800 |
| Channels | 2 |
| Max Memory | 128 |
| ECC | No |
Platform & Power
| Socket | LGA 1700 |
| PCIe | 5 |
| PCIe Lanes | 20 |
| TDP | 65 |
| Max Turbo Power | 117 |
| Unlocked | No |
Graphics & AI
| Integrated Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 730 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Intel Core i5 12400 | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D | G.Skill Trident Z Neo | be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 | KOMQI Core i5 BX80646I54590S | Dell Xeon 641329687376-cr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cores | 6 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Threads | 12 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Boost Clock Mhz | 4400 | 5200 | 4200 | 3400 | 3700 | 2700 |
| L3 Cache Mb | 18 | 96 | 32 | 8 | 6 | 12 |
| Tdp W | 65 | 120 | 65 | 270 | 65 | 80 |
| Socket | LGA 1700 | AM5 | AMD Socket AM4 | AM4 | LGA 1150 | LGA 1366 |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 730 | AMD Radeon Graphics | - | - | Intel HD Graphics 4600 | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AI | Feature | Platform | User Sentiment | Efficiency | Multi Thread | Social Proof | Single Thread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i5 12400 | 73 | 69.5 | 88.8 | 78.9 | 84.2 | 74.7 | 96.6 | 86.3 |
| AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Compare | 91.3 | 98.5 | 95.1 | 92.5 | 87.7 | 90 | 96.6 | 95.7 |
| G.Skill Trident Z Neo Compare | 72.5 | 87.1 | 78.2 | 0 | 83 | 73.5 | 1.5 | 72.4 |
| be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 Compare | 47.9 | 62.3 | 60.7 | 0 | 32.8 | 44.4 | 90.7 | 50.5 |
| KOMQI Core i5 BX80646I54590S Compare | 50.5 | 69.5 | 17.7 | 0 | 50.7 | 39.7 | 13 | 54.8 |
| Dell Xeon 641329687376-cr Compare | 30.8 | 41.7 | 17.7 | 0 | 36.7 | 31.9 | 10.5 | 24.2 |
Price
Value & Pricing
Amazon 2 offers From $187
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
