Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i5-12500H

Processor comparisons 28-09-2022

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i5-12500H and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, machine learning, video editing, rendering, programming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as Gears 5, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, Prime95, Blender, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Blender, Handbrake, 3DMark, AIDA64, SuperPi.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

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 i5-12500H or Intel Core i9-12900KS.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900KS

73%

Core i5-12500H

57%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KS is 21% better than Core i5-12500H. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900KS

61%

Core i5-12500H

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	98.6
Valorant	123.4	112.0
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	62.7
Apex Legends	116.0	105.3
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	84.0
Overwatch	100.0	90.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.1	77.3
DOOM Eternal	61.7	56.0
Warzone	96.3	87.4
Assassin's Creed	103.7	94.1
Valheim	102.4	93.0

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-12900KS

48%

Core i5-12500H

143%

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 i5-12500H is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900KS as it consumes less power: 150W vs. 40W. 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 editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve 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 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 work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i5-12500H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	669	312
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6984	2282
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1113	748
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	15520	5183
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3930	1749
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	44652	17085

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i5-12500H
Single-Core	4211	4099
Multi-Core	76561	23919

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i5-12500H
Single-Core	2187	1721
Multi-Core	20189	10346

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 later the processor is released, 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i5-12500H
Announcement date	March 27, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCBGA1744
Core name	Alder Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	5.5 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	4 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)	150 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	8 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	18 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	Yes	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 i9-12900KS is 17% better than Core i5-12500H in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KS has 4 more core than Core i5-12500H. 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 i9-12900KS is better: 34
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12500H is better: 2
Although it should be realized that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900KS and Intel Core i5-12500H before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-12900KS - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900KS specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12500H - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12500H specs and review.