Intel Core i9-12900KF vs Intel Core i5-10600K

Processor comparisons 28-09-2022

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-12900KF vs Intel Core i5-10600K tests and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as Blender, Furmark, RealBench, WPrime, Prime95, MATLAB, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, Gears 5, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Blender, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, PassMark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10600K or Intel Core i9-12900KF.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900KF

66%

Core i5-10600K

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KF is 18% better than Core i5-10600K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900KF

61%

Core i5-10600K

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. 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: League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.9	97.0
Valorant	123.8	110.2
Cyberpunk 2077	69.3	61.7
Apex Legends	116.4	103.6
Call of Duty Warzone	92.8	82.7
Overwatch	100.3	89.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.4	76.1
DOOM Eternal	61.9	55.1
Warzone	96.5	86.0
Assassin's Creed	104.0	92.6
Valheim	102.7	91.5

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: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 i9-12900KF

52%

Core i5-10600K

39%

To make a final decision 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 i9-12900KF is more energy efficient than the Core i5-10600K since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out 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 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 i9-12900KF	Intel Core i5-10600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	474	215
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	4996	1615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	792	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	11107	3629
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2809	1376
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	31962	10379

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KF	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	7320	2967
Multi-Core	54642	14674

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KF	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	1967	1495
Multi-Core	20514	8815

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-12900KF	Intel Core i5-10600K
Announcement date	July 21, 2021	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1200
Core name	Alder Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	10
Turbo Frequency	5.2 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.1 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	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	125 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	6400
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	14 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
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 i5-10600K is 4% better than Core i9-12900KF in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KF has 10 more core than Core i5-10600K. 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 i9-12900KF is better: 33
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10600K is better: 3
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900KF and Intel Core i5-10600K before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-12900KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900KF specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10600K specs and review.