Intel Core i5-7500 vs Intel Core i5-12500

Processor comparisons   04-02-2023
   If you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-7500 vs Intel Core i5-12500 tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here you can find all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, 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 like Prime95, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, AIDA64, RealBench, Blender, Handbrake.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12500 or Intel Core i5-7500.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-7500

51%

Core i5-12500

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-12500 is 8% better than Core i5-7500. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-7500

52%

Core i5-12500

55%

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 run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just 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: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.7	97.2
Valorant	104.2	110.5
Cyberpunk 2077	58.3	61.9
Apex Legends	97.9	103.8
Call of Duty Warzone	78.1	82.8
Overwatch	84.4	89.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.9	76.2
DOOM Eternal	52.1	55.2
Warzone	81.3	86.2
Assassin's Creed	87.5	92.8
Valheim	86.5	91.7

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 i5-7500

51%

Core i5-12500

86%

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 i5-12500 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-7500 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 i5-7500	Intel Core i5-12500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	162	298
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	617	2182
Cinbench 20 Single-core	396	715
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1122	4955
Cinbench 23 Single-core	599	1672
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	1655	16334

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

	Intel Core i5-7500	Intel Core i5-12500
Single-Core	2258	3919
Multi-Core	6109	22868

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

	Intel Core i5-7500	Intel Core i5-12500
Single-Core	1013	1685
Multi-Core	3606	9016

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 can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even 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 i5-7500	Intel Core i5-12500
Announcement date	March 25, 2017	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1700
Core name	Kaby Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	12
Turbo Frequency	3.8 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	4	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		76.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	18 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i5-7500 is 2% better than Core i5-12500 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-12500 has 2 more core than Core i5-7500. 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 i5-7500 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12500 is better: 30
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here 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 reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-7500 and Intel Core i5-12500 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-7500 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-7500 specs and review.

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.