Intel Core i5-12600K vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-12600K vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900 and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like AIDA64, Gears 5, RealBench, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, 7zip, Furmark, MATLAB, PCMark 10, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, PassMark, 3DMark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3900 or Intel Core i5-12600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-12600K

60%

Ryzen 9 3900

59%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-12600K is 1% better than Ryzen 9 3900. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-12600K

57%

Ryzen 9 3900

57%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.8	101.6
Valorant	115.7	115.5
Cyberpunk 2077	64.8	64.7
Apex Legends	108.7	108.6
Call of Duty Warzone	86.8	86.6
Overwatch	93.7	93.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.8	79.7
DOOM Eternal	57.8	57.7
Warzone	90.2	90.1
Assassin's Creed	97.2	97.0
Valheim	96.0	95.9

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 i5-12600K

53%

Ryzen 9 3900

67%

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 Ryzen 9 3900 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12600K as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 65W. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since 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 i5-12600K	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	466	196
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3407	2922
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1116	485
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7736	6789
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2611	1149
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	25497	16943

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

	Intel Core i5-12600K	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Single-Core	6117	2627
Multi-Core	35696	30807

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

	Intel Core i5-12600K	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Single-Core	2009	1324
Multi-Core	13528	13362

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 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 i5-12600K	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	September 30, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	AM4
Core name	Alder Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	12	2
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	10	12
Threads	16	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	65 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache	9.5 MB	6MB
L3 cache	20 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000072

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-12600K is 13% better than Ryzen 9 3900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3900 has 2 more core than Core i5-12600K. 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 i5-12600K is better: 30
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3900 is better: 6
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 numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 9 3900 before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-12600K - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3900 specs and review.