Intel Core i5-12400T vs Intel Core i5-12500T Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two Alder Lake desktop parts into a clear pattern: the Intel Core i5-12500T takes seven of the eight head-to-head benchmark wins, while the Intel Core i5-12400T claims exactly one. That single win is not a minor footnote. It is the Geekbench single-core test, where the 12400T scores 2044 against the 12500T's 1854, a 9.3% advantage. If your workload is dominated by lightly threaded tasks that respond well to Geekbench's specific mix, the 12400T is the one that shows up stronger in that measurement.

For everything else in the test suite, the 12500T is the consistent winner. The gap is modest but uniform across Cinebench versions. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the 12500T scores 1402 against 1333, a 5.2% lead. In R20 multicore, it is 5843 against 5558, a 5.1% edge. In R23 multicore, it is 13913 against 13234, again 5.1%. The single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern: R15 shows 197 versus 188 (4.8%), R20 shows 824 versus 784 (5.1%), and R23 shows 1964 versus 1868 (5.1%). The largest multicore margin appears in Geekbench multicore, where the 12500T leads 7733 to 7144, an 8.2% difference.

The practical takeaway is straightforward. For rendering, compilation, or any workload that scales across all 12 threads, the 12500T is the stronger pick. For a narrow set of single-threaded scenarios, the 12400T's Geekbench single-core result is the outlier worth noting. The average benchmark scores reflect this overall balance: the 12500T sits at 4216, while the 12400T sits at 4019. Both CPUs land at the 57th percentile against all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same tier of overall performance relative to the broader market.

Architecture Differences

Both processors come from the same Alder Lake-S family, built on Intel's 10 nm process at the same foundry. The die size is identical at 163 mm². The core configuration is also the same on paper: 6 cores and 12 threads, with no efficiency cores listed in the data. The cache hierarchy matches exactly, with 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3.

The architectural differences come down to two visible items. The first is clock speed. The 12500T has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The 12400T has a base clock of 1800.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. That 200 MHz higher base and 200 MHz higher boost on the 12500T explains most of the multicore and Cinebench advantages. The second difference is the integrated graphics. The 12500T ships with UHD Graphics 770, while the 12400T ships with UHD Graphics 730. Both support DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and both expose Gen 5 PCIe with 20 lanes from the CPU.

Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, so the clock differences are fixed at the factory. Both use the Intel Socket 1700, and both are listed as Active in production status. The part numbers differ: SRL5W for the 12500T and SRL5X for the 12400T. ECC memory is not supported on either part. The memory bandwidth field is not recorded in the database, so no comparison can be drawn there.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head table shows a nearly clean sweep. Start with Cinebench R15 multicore. The 12500T posts 1402, the 12400T posts 1333. That is a 5.2% win for the 12500T. In R15 single-core, the 12500T posts 197 against 188, a 4.8% win. Moving to R20, the multicore result is 5843 versus 5558, a 5.1% margin. The R20 single-core result is 824 versus 784, also 5.1%. R23 multicore is 13913 versus 13234, again 5.1%. R23 single-core is 1964 versus 1868, yet again 5.1%. The consistency of that 5.1% delta across three Cinebench versions and both single and multicore tests is striking; it suggests the clock advantage translates directly into render performance without any scaling anomalies.

Geekbench tells a different story. In Geekbench multicore, the 12500T wins big: 7733 against 7144, an 8.2% margin. That is the largest delta in the entire comparison in favor of the 12500T. But in Geekbench single-core, the 12400T flips the result entirely. It scores 2044 against 1854, a 9.3% win. That is the largest delta in the entire comparison in favor of the 12400T, and it is the only test where the lower-clocked part comes out ahead.

Why would a CPU with a 200 MHz lower boost clock win a single-threaded test? The database does not provide per-test clock behavior, so the explanation must stay qualitative. The Geekbench single-core workload may favor memory latency or specific instruction paths where the 12400T's configuration responds better. The data shows the result, but not the mechanism. What matters for a buyer is the pattern: if your software resembles Cinebench, the 12500T is ahead by a consistent 5%. If your software resembles Geekbench single-threaded, the 12400T is ahead by a substantial 9.3%.

The wins tally is 7 for the 12500T and 1 for the 12400T. The average benchmark score confirms the overall direction: 4216 for the 12500T versus 4019 for the 12400T. In the nearest rival context, the 12500T sits within 1.3% of the Intel Core i9-9900 (which scores 4163) and within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-11500H (which scores 4187). The 12400T sits within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655G (which scores 4010) and within 0.9% of the Intel Xeon E-2336 (which scores 3985). Both parts occupy a similar performance band, but the 12500T's average is meaningfully higher.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs share most specifications, so the differences are few and specific. Base clock is the first split: the 12500T runs at 2000.00 MHz, the 12400T at 1800.00 MHz. Boost clock follows: 4.40 GHz for the 12500T, 4.20 GHz for the 12400T. Integrated graphics differ: UHD Graphics 770 for the 12500T, UHD Graphics 730 for the 12400T. The part numbers differ as noted. The launch MSRP for the 12400T is $192, and the database records no launch MSRP for the 12500T. No other specification fields show a difference. Cores, threads, cache sizes, process node, die size, socket, memory support, memory bus, PCIe lanes, ECC support, and unlocked multiplier status are all identical.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500T wins 7 of the 8 recorded head-to-head tests. The Intel Core i5-12400T wins exactly 1.

Q: Is there any test where the 12400T beats the 12500T?

A: Yes. In Geekbench single-core, the 12400T scores 2044 against 1854, a 9.3% advantage. That is the only recorded win for the 12400T.

Q: How large is the 12500T's lead in Cinebench tests?

A: Across R15, R20, and R23, the 12500T leads by 4.8% to 5.2%. The multicore margins are 5.1% in R20 and R23, 5.2% in R15 multicore. The single-core margins are 4.8% in R15, 5.1% in R20, and 5.1% in R23.

Q: Do both CPUs have the same cache configuration?

A: Yes. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The 12500T has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The 12400T has a base clock of 1800.00 MHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz.

Q: Do the integrated graphics differ?

A: Yes. The 12500T includes UHD Graphics 770, while the 12400T includes UHD Graphics 730.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple choice for most buyers. The Intel Core i5-12500T is the better all-around processor in this comparison. It wins every Cinebench test, both single and multicore, by a consistent margin around 5%. It wins Geekbench multicore by an even larger 8.2%. Its average benchmark score of 4216 is higher than the 12400T's 4019, and both sit at the same 57th percentile against all CPUs, meaning the 12500T is not a different performance class, it is simply ahead within that class.

Pick the 12500T if your workloads are multicore-heavy or if you want the faster integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770). The 200 MHz higher base clock and 200 MHz higher boost clock give it a clear edge in rendering and threaded productivity. The only scenario where the 12400T makes sense from the recorded data is if your primary application is heavily dependent on Geekbench-style single-threaded performance, where it wins by 9.3%. That is a narrow use case, but it is a real one.

The 12400T also carries a recorded launch MSRP of $192, while the 12500T has no recorded launch MSRP in the database, so any price comparison must be made outside this analysis. For raw performance per the benchmark suite, the 12500T is the pick. For the single-threaded Geekbench anomaly, the 12400T has a specific, measurable advantage. Everything else favors the 12500T.