Intel Core i5-12600 vs Intel Core i9-9940X

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   If you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-12600 vs Intel Core i9-9940X and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, PCMark 10, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Furmark, 7zip, RealBench, Blender, Blender, Prime95, Handbrake, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9940X 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 i9-9940X

58%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9940X is 1% better than Core i5-12600. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12600

55%

Core i9-9940X

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.6	104.5
Valorant	110.9	118.8
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	66.5
Apex Legends	104.3	111.7
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	89.1
Overwatch	89.8	96.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	82.0
DOOM Eternal	55.5	59.4
Warzone	86.5	92.7
Assassin's Creed	93.2	99.8
Valheim	92.1	98.6

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 i5-12600

96%

Core i9-9940X

25%

To make a finishing 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 i9-9940X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, programming, 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 cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i9-9940X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	326	197
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2380	2587
Cinbench 20 Single-core	780	457
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5404	5912
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1824	1175
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17812	20834

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

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-9940X
Single-Core	4273	2589
Multi-Core	24937	28183

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

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-9940X
Single-Core	1877	1257
Multi-Core	9425	16211

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-12600	Intel Core i9-9940X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	9
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	6	14
Threads	12	28
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	8600 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	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. Another difference is that Core i9-9940X has 8 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 i9-9940X is better: 20
However, it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-12600 and Intel Core i9-9940X before making a selection which of the CPUs 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 i9-9940X - all data

• Fortnite gaming benchmark
• Assassin's Creed gaming benchmark
• DOOM Eternal gaming benchmark
• Overwatch gaming benchmark
• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Apex Legends gaming benchmark
• Cyberpunk 2077 gaming benchmark
• Roblox gaming benchmark
• PUBG gaming benchmark
• Red Dead Redemption 2 gaming benchmark
• GTA 5 gaming benchmark
• Valorant gaming benchmark

• Intel Core i9-9940X specs and review.