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CPU_VS_CPU / 2026-09-11

Intel Core i7-12700F vs Intel Core i5-12400

Which is faster for gaming, by how much, and the resolution past which the difference stops reaching you. Reference: AMD RX 6700 XT, 32 GB of RAM.

SHORT ANSWER

The Intel Core i7-12700F is 13% faster than the Intel Core i5-12400 on average, but paired with an AMD RX 6700 XT that advantage disappears at 2560x1440: past that point the graphics card sets the pace and both processors deliver the same frames.

WHERE IT STOPS MATTERING

Real-world advantage of the Intel Core i7-12700F over the Intel Core i5-12400 at each resolution, paired with an AMD RX 6700 XT. A processor can only show its lead while the graphics card keeps up; the more pixels, the more the two converge.

RESOLUTIONIntel Core i7-12700FIntel Core i5-12400ADVANTAGE
1280x720 (HD 16:9)110105+8%
1920x10806969+5%
2560x1080 (Ultrawide 21:9)5656+5%
2560x14404747no difference
2560x1600 (WQXGA 16:10)4343no difference
3440x1440 (Ultrawide 21:9)3838no difference
3840x1600 (Ultrawide 21:9)3333no difference
5120x1440 (Super Ultrawide 32:9)2929no difference
3840x21602727no difference
5120x2160 (5K2K Ultrawide 21:9)2222no difference
5120x2880 (5K 16:9)1818no difference
7680x4320 (8K UHD 16:9)1010no difference

FPS shown: average of the AAA titles at high quality, native resolution. The advantage is computed across all eleven profiled games.

DIFFERENCE BY GAME

The average hides a lot of variation: the widest gap is in Valorant (16%) and the narrowest in Apex Legends (9%). If you only play one of them, the average is not your answer.

GAMEIntel Core i7-12700FIntel Core i5-12400ADVANTAGE
Valorant663574+16%
Counter-Strike 2419363+15%
Fortnite (Perf Mode)294257+14%
League of Legends547479+14%
Call of Duty: Warzone182162+12%
Elden Ring112100+12%
Cyberpunk 2077178159+12%
Alan Wake 2133119+12%
Hogwarts Legacy120108+11%
Red Dead Redemption 2138125+10%
Apex Legends302277+9%

HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

The per-game frame rates are the ceiling each processor sustains on its own, with no graphics card limiting it. That is the only honest way to compare two CPUs: fixing a specific card would turn the comparison into a review of that card.

Native resolution, no upscaling and no frame generation. Measured model error · Methodology

TEST WITH YOUR OWN BUILD

This page fixes one reference component. Set the resolution and the partner to your own to see your specific case.

All comparisons for Intel Core i7-12700F · Intel Core i5-12400