Intel Core i5 12600K
Rated: 8/10
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Rated: 9/10
Pros & Cons
| CPUs | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Intel i5 12600K | ✅ DDR5 Support. ✅ Good power, thermal efficiency | ❌ Higher price ❌ No CPU cooler included |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | ✅ Good price-to-performance ratio ✅ Excellent mid-range CPU. | ❌ No integrated graphics. ❌ Higher power draw |
- When we compared the two CPUs across five games at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 5600X proved to be 6.8% faster than the Core i5 12600K on average.
- We saw that the Intel i5 12600K was only 0.3% cooler than the Ryzen 5 5600X in temperatures. As for power consumption, the Core i5 12600K showed 3.4% better power efficiency than the Ryzen 5 5600X.
- The price of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X at the time of this article is around $160. This is almost 45% cheaper than the $250 price tag on the Intel Core i5 12600K.
- We recommend you blind buy the Ryzen 5 5600X because it performs better and is available at almost half the Core i5 12600K price.
Comparison Table
| Specifications | Intel Core i5 12600K | AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
|---|---|---|
| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |
| L3 Cache | 20MB (shared) | 32MB (shared) |
| Memory Support | DDR4-3200 | DDR5-4800 (dual channel) | DDR4-3200 (dual channel) |
| Unlocked For Overclocking | Yes (37.0x Multiplier) | Yes (37.0x Multiplier) |
| Best Motherboards | Best Motherboards For Intel Core i5-12600K | Bset Motherboard For Ryzen 5 5600X |
| Best CPU Coolers | Best CPU Coolers For Core i5-12600K | Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen 5 5600X |
| Best RAM | Best RAM For Intel Core i5-12600K | Best RAM For Ryzen 5 5600X |
Architectural Differences
- Process Node & Socket: As the name suggests, the Intel Core i5 12600K uses Intel’s 10nm process node and supports Intel’s LGA 1700 Socket. Whereas, the Ryzen 5 5600X is based on TSMC’s 7nm and supports AMD’s AM4 Socket.
- Cores & Threads: The Intel Core i5-12600K has 10 cores, out of which there are 6 Performance cores and 4 Efficiency cores. Whereas, the Ryzen 5 5600X has a total of 6 cores. Moreover, the Intel i5-12600K has 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X has 12 threads.
- Base & Boost Clock: Intel’s Core i5 12600K has a base frequency of 3.7 GHz which can be ramped up to 4.6 GHz (with E-Core of 2.8 GHz up to 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X also has a base clock of 3.7 GHz with a boost clock of 4.6 GHz.
- PCIe & Chipsets: Both the CPUs support PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes each (CPU only). The Ryzen 5 5600X offers support for the AMD 300 Series, 400 Series, and 500 Series chipsets. In contrast, the Core i5 12600K supports Z690, H670, B660, and H610 motherboard chipsets.
- TDP: The two CPUs have almost half the difference in TDP. Where the Core i5-12600K has a TDP rating of 125W, the Ryzen 5 5600X comes with a 65W of TDP.
Two of the mid-range conquerors of the industry are lined up today. These are none other than the core i5 12600K vs Ryzen 5 5600X, and today, we’ll be investigating if they still hold their power in 2024. If yes, we’ll figure out the intensity of their power later in this comparison. So, keep reading!
Core i5 12600K Vs Ryzen 5 5600X: Benchmarks At 1080p
Kicking off, let’s move past the specifications and toward the benchmarks part. Since CPUs are best tested at 1080p, we’ll do just that and test them across five popular games.
Testing Rig
- MOBO 1: GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G
- MOBO 2: Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro Wifi
- RAM 1: V-Color Manta xSky RGB 32GB DDR5 5600Mhz
- RAM 2: Patriot Viper LED DDR4-3600 16GB RAM
- Graphics Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3090
- SSD: XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 2TB NVMe
- Power Supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1300W
- CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
Hitman 3
- Let’s start this testing by Hitman 3. Here, the Ryzen 5 5600X takes the lead by gaining 167 FPS over the Core i5 12600K’s 163 FPS – indicating a 2.4% performance boost by Ryzen 5 5600X’s end.
- For 1% lows, the Ryzen 5 5600X sprinted with an average of 111 FPS whereas the Core i5 12600K tried to keep up with its rival by maintaining around an average of 101 FPS.
Cyberpunk 2077
- In Cyberpunk 2077, the Ryzen 5 5600X secured victory with a whopping 16.3% performance gap where it obtained an average of 132 FPS over the Core i5 12600K’s lower 112 FPS.
- The 1% lows were quite similar to the average FPS, where the Ryzen 5 5600X stood out as the winner averaging 91 FPS leaving behind the Core i5 12600K with its 73 FPS.
Horizon Zero Dawn
- We noticed that the Ryzen 5 5600X was 6.9% faster than the Core i5 12600K on Horizon Zero Dawn, achieving 163 FPS over 152 FPS respectively.
- In terms of the 1% lows, the Ryzen 5 5600X went ahead with an average of 118 FPS whereas the Core i5 12600K lagged with an average of 105 FPS.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- On Red Dead Redemption 2, the Ryzen 5 5600X had a clear advantage as it won by a 7.7% margin, gaining 161 FPS. In contrast, the Core i5 12600K came in second with 149 FPS on average.
- The 1% lows were again in favor of the Ryzen 5 5600X which managed to average 103 FPS. This was different with the Core i5 12600K which gained an average of 90 FPS on this game.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
- In our last game, both of our processors showed similar results with the Ryzen 5 5600X performing with an average of 70 FPS and the Core i5 12600K showing a 1.4% lead for the first time with 71 FPS.
- As for the 1% lows, the situation was the same as it was with all the other games. The Ryzen 5 5600X was victorious with 57 FPS and the Core i5 12600K was behind with 50 FPS.
Ryzen 5 5600X Vs Core i5-12600K – Overall Gaming Performance
| Processor | Average FPS | 1% Lows |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-12900K | 📈 129.4 | 📉 83.8 |
| AMD Ryzen 9 7900X | 📈 138.6 | 📉 89.8 |
| Winner: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | ||
In terms of the average framerates, the difference between the two CPUs is not consequential. This results in the Ryzen 5 5600X performing 6.8% better than the Core i5 12600K, on average. Speaking of the 1% lows, the results were poles apart from the average framerates. In this area, the Core i5 12600K trailed less than a 7% difference between the two processors.
Overall Thermal Efficiency
| Values | Intel Core i5-12600K (°C) | AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Average Thermal Capacity | 60.8 🌡️ | 61 🌡️ |
| Winner: Intel Core i5-12600K | ||
Similar to the 1% lows, the temperature differences were insignificant as well. Where the Ryzen 5 5600X operated at 61°C, the Core i5 12600K wasn’t far behind in terms of temperatures and ran at an average of 60.8°C, making the Core i5 12600K 0.3% cooler than its parallel CPU.
Overall Power Consumption
| Values | Intel Core i5-12600K (W) | AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (W) |
|---|---|---|
| Average Power Consumption | 282.74⚡️ | 292.7⚡️ |
| Winner: Intel Core i5-12600K | ||
The power consumption finally highlighted a contrast between the two CPUs. Across the five games, the Ryzen 5 5600X drew 292.7 watts of power on average whereas the Core i5 12600K consumed an average of 282.7 watts. This makes the Core i5 12600K more power-efficient than the Ryzen 5 5600X, 3.4% to be precise.
Pricing And Value
| CPU | MSRP | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| Core i5-12600K | 💲289 | 💲249 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 💲299 | 💲159 |
| Price Difference | 3.4% | 44.1% |
Both the CPUs were launched at almost similar prices, with only a 3.4% price difference. Fast forward to 2024, the Core i5-12600K’s price dropped by 14.8% whereas the Ryzen 5 5600X saw an astonishing 61.1% price decrease within these years. Comparing the prices of both of these CPUs, we see a huge price difference where the Ryzen 5 5600X is 41.1% cheaper than the Core i5-12600K.
Final Verdict – Which One Would We Recommend?
Ryzen 5 5600X: Given that the Ryzen 5 5600X performed with a 6.8% edge and is still available at almost half of its competitor’s price it is the perfect CPU. This is why we highly recommend you blind buy the Ryzen 5 5600X due to the value it offers in such a reasonable price tag.
Intel i5-12600K: On the other hand, the Intel i5-12600K may have performed well under stressful conditions, but it still fell short of the results provided by the Ryzen 5 5600X. It had a lower average framerate and took much more power, 3.4% to be accurate. Moreover, this processor is a lot more pricey than the Ryzen 5 5600X. Both processors display a 41.1% price difference between their prices.
The statistics compel us to recommend the Ryzen 5 5600X to the users as it is better than the Intel i5-12600K in every aspect. The Ryzen 5 5600X excelled in overall gaming framerates, backed by a reasonable price tag and adequate thermal and power consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thanks to Alder Lake’s Hybrid Core Architecture, the Core i5-12600K boasts up to 20-35% faster performance, on average, in single-threaded and multi-threaded scores. However, as far as gaming is concerned, the i5-12600K will yield up to 5-10% faster performance in a handful of games at 1080p.
The Ryzen 5 5600X supports various motherboards, ranging from the B450 and X470 to the entry-level A520 chipset, as well as the B550 and X570, in addition to the relatively ancient A320, B350, and X370 chipsets (via proprietary BIOS updates).
AMD is kind enough to bundle its baseline Wraith Stealth Air Cooler with the Ryzen 5 5600X. Unfortunately, Intel does not include a proprietary CPU Cooler in the box, as far as the Core i5-12600K is concerned.
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[Comparisons Specialist]
I’m a passionate computer hardware expert specializing in CPUs and GPUs. With a lifelong curiosity for hardware and extensive hands-on experience, I provide valuable insights, practical advice, and in-depth analysis on these components. Engaging with the hardware community, I exchange knowledge and stay at the forefront of technological advancements.
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