Intel Core i5 12600K vs AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

We compared two desktop CPUs: the 3.7 GHz Intel Core i5 12600K with 10-cores against the 3.8 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with 8-cores. On this page, you'll find out which processor has better performance in benchmarks, games and other useful information.

Review

General overview and comparison of the processors
Single-Core Performance
Performance in single-threaded apps and benchmarks
Multi-Core Performance
Measure performance when all cores are involved
Power Efficiency
The efficiency score of electricity consumption
NanoReview Final Score
Generic CPU rating

Key Differences

What are the key differences between 5800X and 12600K
Advantages of Intel Core i5 12600K
  • Newer - released 1-year later
  • Around 29.12 GB/s (61%) higher theoretical memory bandwidth
  • Has 2 more physical cores
  • Newer PCI Express version – 5.0
  • 18% faster in a single-core Geekbench v5 test - 1915 vs 1626 points
  • Includes an integrated GPU Intel UHD Graphics 770
  • More than 10° C higher critical temperature
  • 4% higher Turbo Boost frequency (4.9 GHz vs 4.7 GHz)
Advantages of AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
  • Has 12288 KB larger L3 cache size
  • More modern manufacturing process – 7 versus 10 nanometers

Benchmarks

Comparing the performance of CPUs in benchmarks
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)
1874
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)
17236
Passmark CPU (Single-Core)
3968
Passmark CPU (Multi-Core)
27957
Geekbench 5 (Single-Core)
1910
Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core)
11565

Specifications

Full technical specification of Intel Core i5 12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

General

Vendor Intel AMD
Released October 27, 2021 October 8, 2020
Type Desktop Desktop
instruction set x86-64 x86-64
Codename Alder Lake Zen 3 (Vermeer)
Model number i5-12600K -
Integrated GPU UHD Graphics 770 No

CPU

Performance Cores
P-Cores 6 8
P-Threads 12 16
Base Frequency (P) 3.7 GHz 3.8 GHz
Turbo Boost Frequency (P) 4.9 GHz 4.7 GHz
Efficient Cores
E-Cores 4 -
E-Threads 4 -
Base Frequency (E) 2.8 GHz -
Turbo Boost Frequency (E) 3.6 GHz -
Total
Total Cores 10 8
Total Threads 16 16
Bus Frequency 100 MHz 100 MHz
Multiplier 37x 38x
L1 Cache 80K (per core) 64K (per core)
L2 Cache 9728K (shared) 512K (per core)
L3 Cache 20MB (shared) 32MB (shared)
Unlocked Multiplier Yes Yes

Package

Transistors - 4.15 billions
Fabrication process 10 nm 7 nm
Socket LGA-1700 AM4
TDP 125 W 105 W
Max. Boost TDP 150 W -
Peak temperature 100°C 90°C

iGPU

Integrated Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 770 -
GPU Base Clock 300 MHz -
GPU Boost Clock 1450 MHz -
Shading Units 256 -
TMUs 16 -
ROPs 8 -
Execution Units 32 -
TGP 15 W -
iGPU FLOPS
0.78 TFLOPS

Memory Support

Memory types DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 DDR4-3200
Memory Size 128 GB 128 GB
Max. Memory Channels 2 2
Max. Memory Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s 47.68 GB/s
ECC Support Yes Yes

Misc

Official site Intel Core i5 12600K official page AMD Ryzen 7 5800X official page
PCI Express Version 5.0 4.0
PCI Express Lanes 20 20

Cast your vote

Choose between two processors
699 (79.2%)
184 (20.8%)
Total votes: 883

Comments

So which CPU will you choose: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i5 12600K?
Avatar
BG Visuals 19 September 2022 10:07
Now in India Ryzen 7 7800x is cheaper than the intel i5 12600k.
+24 Reply
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Ko Bo 06 October 2022 05:06
Where tf are you seeing this from this is some incorrect information.
+7 Reply
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No Name 22 August 2022 02:24
I thought ryzen was the Winner because it was more expensive didn't know Intel was that good.
+14 Reply
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Non-K 01 April 2022 10:46
Wow. The i5-12600k is the better choice here for those who don't need dedicated graphics cards.
+1 Reply
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PsArtPro 20 December 2021 03:32
My I5 12600K is almost here. A big jump from 10y old AMD-FX-X4-4100 (2core/4thread). 😇
+13 Reply
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Some Body 05 December 2021 00:24
I choose the i5 12600k. It's a bit more futureproof with DDR5 and PCIe5.0 and I don't like to buy new PCs that often. My old one is 10 years old now with an i5-2500k :D So the i5 12600k ideally lasts another 10 years. Either way, it is also about 50€ cheaper than the Ryzen 7 5800X, at least in Germany at this date. I Gotta spend more on the motherboard then, but I think it will be worth it.
+14 Reply
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Umair Shah 16 February 2022 21:56
Go for B660 motherboard especially Gigabyte B660M DS3H DDR4 and you will just spend fair amount, don't go for the Z690 yet.
+10 Reply
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Tony G 12 November 2021 09:03
It depends, what is the price difference?
0 Reply
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Kam B 25 November 2021 12:04
On Newegg, the 12600k is at $299.99 currently. The Ryzen 7 5800x usually sells at $386.99 on Newegg but currently has a black Friday sale right now but will probably return to the regular price after black Friday. In my opinion, I would go with the 5800x because of its competitive performance and less power usage than an Intel CPU. Decent Intel motherboards are pricey but the new Z690 motherboards are better than the majority of X570 or B550 motherboards.
+11 Reply
Avatar
Pppk 09 November 2021 20:34
Damn intel is doing comeback.
+19 Reply
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