Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i5-12600H

Processor comparisons   28-09-2022
   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i5-12600H tests and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like RealBench, Furmark, PCMark 10, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, Blender, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, 7zip, AIDA64, WPrime, Handbrake, PassMark, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600H or Intel Core i9-12900K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900K

67%

Core i5-12600H

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900K is 13% better than Core i5-12600H. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900K

64%

Core i5-12600H

55%

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 this processor costs 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 summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.8	98.4
Valorant	129.3	111.8
Cyberpunk 2077	72.4	62.6
Apex Legends	121.5	105.1
Call of Duty Warzone	97.0	83.8
Overwatch	104.7	90.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	89.2	77.1
DOOM Eternal	64.6	55.9
Warzone	100.8	87.2
Assassin's Creed	108.6	93.9
Valheim	107.3	92.8

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 participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-12900K

97%

Core i5-12600H

145%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i5-12600H is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900K as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 40W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to count 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 i9-12900K	Intel Core i5-12600H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	489	360
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5150	2626
Cinbench 20 Single-core	816	860
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	11450	5963
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2896	2013
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	32950	19657

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

	Intel Core i9-12900K	Intel Core i5-12600H
Single-Core	7546	4715
Multi-Core	56332	27519

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

	Intel Core i9-12900K	Intel Core i5-12600H
Single-Core	3641	1746
Multi-Core	25262	10166

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 in the future. 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 in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-12900K	Intel Core i5-12600H
Announcement date	July 21, 2021	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCBGA1744
Core name	Alder Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	5.2 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	16	12
Threads	24	16
Bus rate	16 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	12400 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	40 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	14 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	18 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 i9-12900K is 15% better than Core i5-12600H in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900K has 4 more core than Core i5-12600H. 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 i9-12900K is better: 31
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600H is better: 4
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900K and Intel Core i5-12600H before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-12900K - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900K specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12600H - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600H specs and review.