Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i9-10920X

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i9-10920X tests and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like RealBench, Furmark, 3DMark, Prime95, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, MATLAB, Blender, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, Blender, SuperPi, Handbrake.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10920X or Intel Core i5-12500.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-12500

56%

Core i9-10920X

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10920X is 3% better than Core i5-12500. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12500

55%

Core i9-10920X

58%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.2	102.4
Valorant	110.5	116.3
Cyberpunk 2077	61.9	65.1
Apex Legends	103.8	109.3
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	87.2
Overwatch	89.5	94.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.2	80.3
DOOM Eternal	55.2	58.2
Warzone	86.2	90.7
Assassin's Creed	92.8	97.7
Valheim	91.7	96.5

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: 2K, 4K or FullHD. 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 i5-12500

86%

Core i9-10920X

25%

To make a final decision 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 i5-12500 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-10920X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10920X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	185
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2182	2798
Cinbench 20 Single-core	715	596
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4955	5367
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1672	1550
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16334	15445

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

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10920X
Single-Core	3919	2780
Multi-Core	22868	26405

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

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10920X
Single-Core	1685	1246
Multi-Core	9016	14074

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-12500	Intel Core i9-10920X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake	Cascade Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	10
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	6	12
Threads	12	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s DMI3
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	256 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	94 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	18 MB	19.25 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 i9-10920X is 5% better than Core i5-12500 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10920X has 6 more core than Core i5-12500. 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 i5-12500 is better: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10920X is better: 23
Although it should be realized that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-12500 and Intel Core i9-10920X before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-12500 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12500 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-10920X specs and review.