Intel Core i5-12400F DDR4 vs DDR5 Review

Introduction

During our testing of the 11th Generation of Intel CPUs we discovered the Core i5-11400 to be a fantastic processor. With 6C12T available alongside Intel's famed high clock speeds, the affordable Core i5 option proved itself to be the perfect gaming processor whilst also having enough performance beneath the hood to make for a usable every day processor too.

With the 12th Generation of Intel CPUs, codename Alder Lake, we've already seen the huge architectural changes that Intel have made in the form of Performance Cores and Efficiency Cores giving even higher calculative potential than their core count might indicate. That's all well and good if you have the finances necessary to obtain one of those processors and utilise the Z690 motherboard necessary to maximise their capabilities, but what if the festive season has played havoc with your available funds and you want the newest technology but in a more affordable package?

Enter the Core i5-12400F, the processor which is the sequel to our favourite of the previous generation. With 6 Cores and 12 Threads, the same as the Core i5-11400, it is a simpler take on the newest processors, shorn of such Performance/Efficiency core architecture. However, it still supports PCI Express 5.0 and, on the right motherboard, is capable of using DDR5 too. In fact when it comes to memory we've spent a lot of time here at OC3D towers trying to show you the various performance and bandwidth differences between those two memory formats, and knowing that a Core i5 might not require such insane memory bandwidth it seemed like the perfect opportunity to really see what was on offer if you took the most affordable route.

Which brings us neatly to the motherboards we'll be using today. Until now the DDR4 compatible motherboards we've reviewed are standalone items, unique to their memory. With the launch of the Core i5-12400F we also see the introduction of the affordable B660 chipset and, thanks to MSI, we have two identical motherboards upon which to discover the performance gains of DDR5 without the motherboard differences playing a part. The MSI B660M Mortar comes in both DDR5 and DDR4 versions, with everything else being identical. Excellent.

Thus, if you've had your curiosity piqued by the new 12th Generation of Intel products and want to know if a more midrange CPU still finds benefits from the more expensive memory, or if going with the affordable option saves you money with no downsides, this is the perfect way to find out. Let's do so.

Test Setup

Intel Core i5-12400F
MSI B660M Mortar WiFi
MSI B660M Mortar WiFi DDR4
32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR5 5200MHz
32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 3600MHz
Windows 11 64bit
Sabrent 4TB Rocket Plus
Nvidia RTX 2080Ti
Corsair AX1600i
Corsair H150i with Noctua 3000 RPM fans