Intel Core i5-12600HL vs Intel Core i9-7980XE

Processor comparisons 11-09-2022

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-12600HL vs Intel Core i9-7980XE tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, programming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis 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 joint testing in special testing software such as Furmark, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, Blender, Handbrake, 3DMark, Blender, 7zip, PCMark 10, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, RealBench, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7980XE or Intel Core i5-12600HL.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-12600HL

58%

Core i9-7980XE

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12600HL

55%

Core i9-7980XE

60%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	98.3	107.0
Valorant	111.7	121.6
Cyberpunk 2077	62.5	68.1
Apex Legends	105.0	114.3
Call of Duty Warzone	83.7	91.2
Overwatch	90.4	98.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.0	83.9
DOOM Eternal	55.8	60.8
Warzone	87.1	94.9
Assassin's Creed	93.8	102.2
Valheim	92.7	100.9

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 computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. 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

Core i5-12600HL

127%

Core i9-7980XE

23%

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 i5-12600HL is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7980XE as it consumes less power: 45W 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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 i5-12600HL	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	353	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2597	3455
Cinbench 20 Single-core	848	446
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5900	7671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1990	1281
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	19457	28196

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

	Intel Core i5-12600HL	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	4665	2490
Multi-Core	27241	29612

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

	Intel Core i5-12600HL	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	1726	1158
Multi-Core	10061	18658

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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 even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-12600HL	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Announcement date	September 16, 2022	April 01, 2017
Type	Embedded	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	9
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2.7 MHz	2.6 MHz
Cores	12	18
Threads	16	36
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	18 MB	24.75 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-12600HL is 3% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 6 more core than Core i5-12600HL. 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 i5-12600HL is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7980XE is better: 22
Although it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-12600HL and Intel Core i9-7980XE before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-12600HL - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600HL specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.