Intel Core i9-12900F vs Intel Core i5-11600

Processor comparisons 28-09-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-12900F vs Intel Core i5-11600 and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like AIDA64, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, UserBenchmark, Furmark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, RealBench, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Gears 5, SuperPi, Handbrake.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600 or Intel Core i9-12900F.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900F

65%

Core i5-11600

55%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900F is 15% better than Core i5-11600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900F

59%

Core i5-11600

53%

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 little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Control, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	104.5	94.8
Valorant	118.8	107.7
Cyberpunk 2077	66.5	60.3
Apex Legends	111.6	101.3
Call of Duty Warzone	89.1	80.8
Overwatch	96.2	87.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.9	74.3
DOOM Eternal	59.4	53.9
Warzone	92.6	84.0
Assassin's Creed	99.8	90.5
Valheim	98.6	89.4

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 i9-12900F

97%

Core i5-11600

41%

To make a final resolution 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 i9-12900F is more energy efficient than the Core i5-11600 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 125W. 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 streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can 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 i9-12900F	Intel Core i5-11600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	449	189
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	4734	1811
Cinbench 20 Single-core	750	442
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	10524	4058
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2661	1153
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	30285	10741

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

	Intel Core i9-12900F	Intel Core i5-11600
Single-Core	6936	2573
Multi-Core	51775	19594

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

	Intel Core i9-12900F	Intel Core i5-11600
Single-Core	1904	1541
Multi-Core	16188	6664

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS 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 i9-12900F	Intel Core i5-11600
Announcement date	July 21, 2021	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1200
Core name	Alder Lake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	11
Turbo Frequency	5.1 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	16	6
Threads	24	12
Bus rate	16 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	12600 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	12 MB	3 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	12 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 i9-12900F is 26% better than Core i5-11600 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900F has 10 more core than Core i5-11600. 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 i9-12900F is better: 34
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600 is better: 2
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-12900F and Intel Core i5-11600 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-12900F - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900F specs and review.

Intel Core i5-11600 - all data

• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-11600 specs and review.