Intel Core i5-12600 vs Intel Core i9-7960X

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-12600 vs Intel Core i9-7960X and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as 3DMark, SuperPi, RealBench, PCMark 10, Furmark, Blender, WPrime, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, Blender, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, AIDA64, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Red Dead Redemption 2
Borderlands 3
Rainbow Six Siege
DOOM: Eternal
Overwatch
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Valorant
Watch Dogs Legion
Grand Theft Auto V
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Apex Legends
Halo Infinite
Fallout 76
Last Man Standing
Fortnite
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Valheim
Cyberpunk 2077
Death Stranding

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7960X or Intel Core i5-12600.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-12600

57%

Core i9-7960X

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-7960X is 1% better than Core i5-12600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12600

55%

Core i9-7960X

60%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, NBA 2K20, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.6	106.9
Valorant	110.9	121.4
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	68.0
Apex Legends	104.3	114.2
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	91.1
Overwatch	89.8	98.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	83.8
DOOM Eternal	55.5	60.7
Warzone	86.5	94.7
Assassin's Creed	93.2	102.0
Valheim	92.1	100.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-12600

96%

Core i9-7960X

22%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-12600 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7960X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-7960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	326	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2380	3161
Cinbench 20 Single-core	780	611
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5404	5496
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1824	1103
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17812	22189

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	4273	2605
Multi-Core	24937	27039

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	1877	1113
Multi-Core	9425	18501

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-7960X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	7
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	6	16
Threads	12	32
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	18 MB	22 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-12600 is 15% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7960X has 10 more core than Core i5-12600. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600 is better: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 21
All the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-12600 and Intel Core i9-7960X before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-12600 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-12600 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.