Intel Core i5-12600K vs Intel Core i9-11900K

VS
Performance
Core i5-12600K21% better
25,01768% of 36,991
Core i9-11900K
20,66256% of 36,991

The Core i5-12600K has 21% better performance than the Core i9-11900K for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

Performance per dollar
Core i5-12600K126% better
86.5671% of 121.53
Core i9-11900K
38.3332% of 121.53

The Core i5-12600K has 126% better value for the money than the Core i9-11900K for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

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Summary

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About the Intel Core i5-12600K CPU

The Intel Core i5-12600K is a 10-core (16-thread) processor built for the desktop CPU market. It launched in Q4 2021 with a suggested retail price of $289. It is part of Intel's Core i5 lineup, which is based on the Alder Lake-S microarchitecture. The i5-12600K is compatible with Intel Socket 1700 motherboards and is fabricated on Intel's 10 nm manufacturing process. It features the UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics solution.

Memory and Cache

The Core i5-12600K supports DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 memory and features a dual-channel memory controller, allowing it to utilize 2 memory modules simultaneously. In terms of cache, the Core i5-12600K has multiple levels of cache. Its L1 cache, which is the smallest and fastest, is 80 KB in size, providing rapid access to crucial instructions. Its L2 cache, at 1.25 MB, is larger but slower than the L1. Its L3 cache, a shared resource among the CPU's cores, has a capacity of 20 MB.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The Core i5-12600K features 10 total cores which can process 16 threads simultaneously. The multi-threading capability allows the CPU to execute multiple computational tasks in parallel. The 10 cores consist of 6 P-Cores and 4 E-Cores. P-Cores are designed for high-performance tasks and E-Cores are intended for efficiency and lighter tasks. The base clock speed of the CPU is 3.7 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.9 GHz under heavy workloads. Higher clock speeds result in better performance for the same microarchitecture. The multiplier is unlocked, enabling overclocking for those seeking to push the CPU's performance further.

Integrated Graphics

The Core i5-12600K includes an integrated graphics solution called UHD Graphics 770. This graphics processor is directly integrated into the CPU and is not as powerful as a dedicated graphics card. While integrated graphics can handle basic tasks like web browsing and office applications, it is not suitable for more demanding activities such as gaming or video editing, where a dedicated graphics card offers superior performance.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The Core i5-12600K has the 26th best 3DMark 11 Performance Physics score among the 721 benchmarked CPUs in our database. It achieves 67.63% of the performance of the best benchmarked CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Its 25,017 score and $289 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 86.56. This is the 12th best in value for the 3DMark 11 Perf. Physics benchmark.

About the Intel Core i9-11900K CPU

The Intel Core i9-11900K is an end-of-life 8-core (16-thread) processor built for the desktop CPU market. It launched in Q1 2021 with a suggested retail price of $539. It is part of Intel's Core i9 lineup, which is based on the Rocket Lake-S microarchitecture. The i9-11900K is compatible with Intel Socket 1200 motherboards and is fabricated on Intel's 14 nm manufacturing process. It features the UHD Graphics 750 integrated graphics solution.

Memory and Cache

The Core i9-11900K supports DDR4 memory and features a dual-channel memory controller, allowing it to utilize 2 memory modules simultaneously. In terms of cache, the Core i9-11900K has multiple levels of cache. Its L1 cache, which is the smallest and fastest, is 80 KB in size, providing rapid access to crucial instructions. Its L2 cache, at 512 KB, is larger but slower than the L1. Its L3 cache, a shared resource among the CPU's cores, has a capacity of 16 MB.

Cores and Clock Speeds

The Core i9-11900K features 8 total cores which can process 16 threads simultaneously. The multi-threading capability allows the CPU to execute multiple computational tasks in parallel. The base clock speed of the CPU is 3.5 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.3 GHz under heavy workloads. Higher clock speeds result in better performance for the same microarchitecture. The multiplier is unlocked, enabling overclocking for those seeking to push the CPU's performance further.

Integrated Graphics

The Core i9-11900K includes an integrated graphics solution called UHD Graphics 750. This graphics processor is directly integrated into the CPU and is not as powerful as a dedicated graphics card. While integrated graphics can handle basic tasks like web browsing and office applications, it is not suitable for more demanding activities such as gaming or video editing, where a dedicated graphics card offers superior performance.

Benchmark Performance & Value

The Core i9-11900K has the 66th best 3DMark 11 Performance Physics score among the 721 benchmarked CPUs in our database. It achieves 55.86% of the performance of the best benchmarked CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. Its 20,662 score and $539 launch price (MSRP) gives it a performance per dollar of 38.33. This is the 83rd best in value for the 3DMark 11 Perf. Physics benchmark.

General Info

General overview of the CPU, including details like its manufacturer, release date, launch price, and current production status.

InfoCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
ManufacturerIntelIntel
SeriesCore i5Core i9
Market SegmentDesktopDesktop
Release DateQ4 2021Q1 2021
Launch Price (MSRP)$289$539
Production StatusActiveEnd-of-life
ShopCheck PriceCheck Price

Benchmark Performance

#
Performance
Core i5-12600K21% better
25,01768% of 36,991
Core i9-11900K
20,66256% of 36,991

The Core i5-12600K has 21% better performance than the Core i9-11900K for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

The Core i5-12600K is ranked 26th with a score of 25,017, and the Core i9-11900K is ranked 66th with a score of 20,662.

Performance per dollar
Core i5-12600K126% better
86.5671% of 121.53
Core i9-11900K
38.3332% of 121.53

The Core i5-12600K has 126% better value for the money than the Core i9-11900K for the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark.

The Core i5-12600K is ranked 12th with a performance per dollar of 86.56, and the Core i9-11900K is ranked 83rd with a performance per dollar of 38.33.

Relative Performance

The average score in the benchmark test can be compared to similar CPUs to assess relative performance. Generally, powerful CPUs tend to have higher scores.

Choose Baseline CPU:Core i5-12600K or
CPUBenchmark Performance
Ryzen 5 9600X25,717+3%
Ryzen 9 5950X25,154.5+1%
Core i5-12600K25,017
Core i7-12700K24,947-0%
Core i9-1290024,314-3%
Ryzen 9 5900X21,043.5-16%
Ryzen 9 3950X21,016-16%
Core i9-11900K20,662-17%
Core i9-10980XE20,452-18%
Ryzen 7 5700X20,010-20%

Relative Value For Money

The average performance per dollar in the benchmark test can be compared to similar CPUs to assess relative value. A higher score implies a better value for your money.

Choose Baseline CPU:Core i5-12600K or
CPUPerformance Per Dollar
Ryzen 7 770094.06+9%
Ryzen 5 9600X92.18+6%
Core i5-12600K86.56
Ryzen 5 7600X86.06-1%
Ryzen 7 9700X85.67-1%
Core i7-11700K43.42-50%
Core i9-10900K40.1-54%
Core i9-11900K38.33-56%
Ryzen 9 5900X38.33-56%
Ryzen 9 3900X37.94-56%

Benchmark Scores

This table showcases the average performance scores achieved by both CPUs across industry-standard benchmark tests. These scores provide a valuable insight into overall performance. Powerful CPUs tend to have higher scores.

  • Popular
BenchmarkCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
3DMark 11 Performance Physics
25,017
(+21.08%)
20,662
3DMark Time Spy CPU
13,869
(+7.49%)
12,902.5
Cinebench R15 Multi-Core
2,555
(+7.4%)
2,379
Cinebench R15 Single-Core
275
(+7.84%)
255
Geekbench 6.2 Multi-Core
11,856
(+7.47%)
11,032
Geekbench 6.2 Single-Core
2,478
(+3.12%)
2,403
CPU Mark Multi-Thread
27,731
(+9.63%)
25,295
CPU Mark Single-Thread
3,951
(+12.28%)
3,519
Benchmarks Source: Notebookcheck

Technical Specs

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Manufacturing Details

Information about the CPU's manufacturing like its foundry, process size, and transistor count.

SpecCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
ManufacturerIntelIntel
FoundryIntelIntel
Process Size10 nm14 nm

Architecture

CPU architecture specs like its memory channels, memory support, and microarchitecture. Newer CPU architectures can minimize bottlenecks and improve execution efficiency using more advanced techniques.

SpecCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
SeriesCore i5Core i9
MicroarchitectureAlder Lake-SRocket Lake-S
CodenameAlder Lake-SRocket Lake
Memory SupportDDR4-3200, DDR5-4800DDR4
Memory ChannelsDual-channelDual-channel
ECC MemoryNoNo

Cores & Clock Speeds

Processing power information like its cores and clock speed. These specs impact how fast they can handle instructions and tasks. These have a strong impact on the CPU's performance.

SpecCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
Cores108
Threads1616
Performance Cores (P-cores)6--
Efficient Cores (E-cores)4--
Clock Speed3.7 GHz3.5 GHz
Turbo Clock4.9 GHz5.3 GHz
P-core Clock3.7 GHz--
P-core Turbo Clock4.9 GHz--
E-core Clock Speed2.8 GHz--
E-core Turbo Clock3.6 GHz--
Base Clock100 MHz100 MHz
Multiplier37.0x35.0x
Multiplier UnlockedYesYes

Cache

CPU cache specs like its L1 & L2 cache. These provide the CPU with a small, but super-fast memory access. A larger cache can improve a CPU's performance.

SpecCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
L1 Cache80 KB80 KB
L2 Cache1.25 MB512 KB
L3 Cache20 MB16 MB
E-core L1 Cache96 KB--
E-core L2 Cache2 MB--

Compatibility & Power Consumption

Compatibility and power consumption information like its socket type, thermal design power, power limits. These can help verify the CPU's compatibility with other PC components.

SpecCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
SocketIntel Socket 1700Intel Socket 1200
PCI ExpressPCIe 4.0 x20PCIe 4.0 x20
Thermal Design Power (TDP)125 W125 W
Power Limit 1 (PL1)150 W--
Power Limit 2 (PL2)150 W--
Tcase Max72 °C72 °C
TJ Max100 °C100 °C

Graphics, Features, & Extensions

Additional CPU features like its bundled coolers, integrated graphics, and extensions/technologies.

SpecCore i5-12600KCore i9-11900K
Integrated GraphicsUHD Graphics 770UHD Graphics 750
Extensions / TechnologiesMMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, FMA3, SHA, EIST, Intel 64, XD bit, VT-x, VT-d, AES-NI, TSX, TXT, CLMUL, F16C, BMI1, BMI2, ABM, ADX, RdRand, TBT 2.0MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, AVX-512F, FMA3, SHA, EIST, Intel 64, XD bit, VT-x, VT-d, AES-NI, TSX, TXT, CLMUL, F16C, BMI1, BMI2, ABM, ADX, RdRand, TBT 2.0, TBT 3.0, TVB

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* Performance rating, performance per dollar, and rankings are based on the 3DMark 11 Performance Physics benchmark and MSRP.