AMD Ryzen 9 7900 vs Intel Core i5-12600K

Processor comparisons 12-12-2022

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests AMD Ryzen 9 7900 vs Intel Core i5-12600K and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, rendering, video editing, streaming, programming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, PCMark 10, MATLAB, SuperPi, Blender, AIDA64, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, Handbrake, 3DMark, 7zip, RealBench, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600K or AMD Ryzen 9 7900.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen 9 7900

65%

Core i5-12600K

60%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 7900 is 7% better than Core i5-12600K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 7900

62%

Core i5-12600K

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	109.4	101.8
Valorant	124.3	115.7
Cyberpunk 2077	69.6	64.8
Apex Legends	116.8	108.7
Call of Duty Warzone	93.2	86.8
Overwatch	100.7	93.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.8	79.8
DOOM Eternal	62.1	57.8
Warzone	96.9	90.2
Assassin's Creed	104.4	97.2
Valheim	103.2	96.0

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 9 7900

50%

Core i5-12600K

53%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i5-12600K is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 7900 since it has less power consumption: 145W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 7900	Intel Core i5-12600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	296	466
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	4744	3407
Cinbench 20 Single-core	700	1116
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	11336	7736
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1777	2611
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	31142	25497

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 7900	Intel Core i5-12600K
Single-Core	3754	6117
Multi-Core	50221	35696

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 7900	Intel Core i5-12600K
Single-Core	2195	2009
Multi-Core	20946	13528

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 later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 9 7900	Intel Core i5-12600K
Announcement date	December 12, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM5	FCLGA1700
Core name	Raphael	Alder Lake
Architecture	Zen 4	x86
Generation	5	12
Turbo Frequency	5.4 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	4.5 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	12	10
Threads	24	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	12600 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	145 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory		128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth		76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	768KB
L2 cache	12MB	9.5 MB
L3 cache	64MB	20 MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 Ryzen 9 7900 is 19% better than Core i5-12600K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 7900 has 2 more core than Core i5-12600K. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 7900 is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600K is better: 10
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and Intel Core i5-12600K before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

AMD Ryzen 9 7900 - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 9 7900 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12600K - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600K specs and review.