Intel Core i5-12600K review: The new mainstream CPU champ crushes Ryzen

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If there was ever a CPU designed solely for revenge, Intel’s 12th-gen “Alder Lake” Core i5-12600Ok can be it.

Based on Intel’s new—and surprisingly good—hybrid CPU design that features a combination of high-performance cores and high-efficiency cores, the Core i5-12600Ok offers a demise blow to AMD’s well-liked Ryzen 5 5600X in nearly all the pieces you possibly can run on it. Looking at its superior efficiency over the Ryzen 5, we nearly wish to throw a penalty flag for unsportsmanlike conduct for approach Core i5 chip runs up the rating on to Ryzen 5. This is the brand new mainstream desktop processor to beat.

What is 12th-gen Core i5-12600Ok?

Our earlier Intel Alder Lake reveal coverage dug deep into the make-up of those radical new 12th-gen Core chips, in addition to exhausting particulars concerning the particular person chips within the lineup and platform/motherboard particulars. Be certain to test it out in case you aren’t in control on what’s happening in Intel’s new structure but.

As for the Core i5-12600Ok, in a nutshell, it’s the inexpensive model of Alder Lake that most individuals will purchase. Sure, the flagship Core i9-12900Ok nabs the headlines, however the value and worth of the Core i5 makes it the one to have. This chip comes with 10 cores/16 threads (6 hyperthreaded efficiency cores at 3.7GHz/4.9GHz, 4 effectivity cores at 2.8GHz/3.6GHz).

How we examined

You can learn extra particulars concerning the {hardware} we used to check these two CPUs in our Core i9-12900K review, however we’ll simply say each are on on even floor with the most recent patches and drivers utilized to handle beforehand reported performance issues for Ryzen on Windows 11. We additionally wish to observe that our CPU’s L3 cache latency efficiency seemed fantastic.

Gordon Mah Ung

Rendering efficiency

We’ll kick this off within the highly-watched (but arguably little used) space of 3D rendering utilizing Maxon’s newest Cinebench R23 benchmark. Intel nonetheless frowns on 3D rendering efficiency testing on the skin, however inside, it’s possible all smiles because the 12th gen Core i5 provides a loopy 52 p.c efficiency enhance over the Ryzen 5! Fifty. Two. Percent. Exclamation level.

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We additionally run Cinebench R23 utilizing a single-thread as a result of few functions truly use all of the cores in trendy CPUs. While the all-core end result above may inform you how briskly a processor can deal with 3D rendering or possibly video encoding, single-core efficiency usually signifies how effectively it runs most actions in Photoshop, looking, or whereas utilizing Office. The Core i5-12600Ok has it dealt with there too with a commanding 25 p.c lead over the Ryzen 5 5600X.

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Our subsequent 3D rendering benchmark, POV-Ray, makes use of a check that dates again to the origins of the Amiga, however has been up to date over time. Its declare to fame is the power to create lovely ray traced pictures utilizing just a few traces of textual content. The Core i5-12600Ok’s lead isn’t as large right here because it was in Cinebench R23, however it’s nonetheless nothing lower than a gobsmacking 44 p.c extra efficiency than a Ryzen 5 5600X.

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Like Cinebench, there’s additionally an choice to have a look at single-threaded efficiency in POV-Ray. We once more see the hole shut just a little bit however not sufficient to matter, with the Core i5-12600Ok delivering a 19 p.c efficiency lead over the Ryzen 5 5600X.

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Continuing with 3D rendering, we additionally check the open supply Blender 2.93.5 with the Barbershop Interior benchmark scene. While 12th-gen Core i9 truly loses to the Ryzen 9 right here—we predict partially to the extra threads the Ryzen 9 has—the extra mainstream Core i5-12600Ok has to make no such apologies by ending the render scene in 16 p.c much less time than the Ryzen 5.

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At this level, we predict you get that the ten cores of the Core i5-12600Ok simply crush the six cores of the Ryzen 5 5600X. We’d say no mas, however AMD has been crushing Intel in multi-core efficiency for years so it doesn’t really feel truthful to cease now simply because the conditions are reversed. So sure, the 12th-gen Core i5 holds a major 28 p.c lead over the Ryzen 5 within the Corona rendering benchmark.

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Our final rendering benchmark is Chaosgroup’s V-Ray 5, which provides the Core i5-12600Ok one other crushing 36 p.c benefit over the Ryzen 5. Let’s simply conclude that for anybody who wants a finances CPU for 3D rendering, Ryzen 5 will get cooked by 12th gen Core i5.

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Compression efficiency

Moving on to the exhilarating world of compressing and decompressing your information, we use 7-Zip’s built-in benchmark to gauge that efficiency. 7-Zip is free, fantastic, and we suggest you test it out, however its in-built benchmark is generally educational since we’ve by no means seen it use all 16 threads of a CPU to compress or decompress a file. If you probably did, nevertheless, the winner can be the Core i5-12600Ok, which pulls in a 7 p.c benefit in decompression efficiency and 5 p.c in compression efficiency over the Ryzen 5 5600X.

We suspect 7-Zip both is delicate to the latency of DDR5 or just isn’t optimized for Alder Lake although as a result of the single-threaded efficiency supplies the primary glimpse of a activity the place Ryzen is quicker. We see the 12th-gen Core i5 is definitely 13 p.c slower in single-threaded compression and 10 p.c slower in single-threaded decompression. So in case your concept of time is compressing or decompressing information with 7-Zip, attain for Ryzen.

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Encoding efficiency

Handbrake is one other nice free program in case you cope with changing video information in your laptop. Again, whereas flagship Core i9-12900Ok has simply sufficient juice to beat AMD’s flagship Ryzen 9 5950X, the 12th-gen Core i5 has no issues consuming the Ryzen 5’s lunch. It completed our file transcode in a whopping 25 p.c much less time than the Ryzen 5.

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Synthetic benchmark efficiency

We name this class artificial benchmark efficiency, however it’s actually a benchmark for Twitter and Reddit, as a result of Geekbench is outwardly the benchmark of alternative for individuals to by accident leak a brand new CPUs efficiency. It’s come a good distance from its early days, however Geekbench 5 makes use of an assortment of small program “loops” modeled on use circumstances comparable to HDR, ray tracing, encryption, and textual content rendering to gauge a CPU’s efficiency. The Ryzen 5 5600X is once more dealt one other crushing, crushing blow in Geekbench 5, with the Core i5-12600Ok coming in 44 p.c sooner than it.

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As we’ve mentioned, many functions don’t actually use all these CPU cores in trendy processors, however Geekbench additionally provides a single-thread benchmark. Intel stays in command right here too, with a 16 p.c benefit over the Ryzen 5 5600X. (And sure, Mac M1 Pro followers, the brand new Core i5-12600Ok is quicker than your new shiny new chip too.)

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Content creation efficiency

Geekbench is enjoyable to shriek at individuals about on Twitter, however for one thing nearer to actuality we like to have a look at how briskly the CPUs run precise functions, so first up is Procyon 2.0’s Photo Editing benchmark. The benchmark scripts Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom Classic with a number of picture duties. Procyon 2.0’s general rating sees each chips truly shut up just a little, however the Core i5-12600Ok nonetheless edges the Ryzen 5 5600X by three p.c. Looking on the sub scores, we principally see a tie throughout the margin of error for the Image Retouch check, which is generally Photoshop enhancing efficiency.

In the batch processing activity that leans extra on Lightroom Classic efficiency, the 12th-gen Core i5 opens its result in 7 p.c. That doesn’t shock us, as Lightoom Classic tends to make use of extra CPU cores than Photoshop.

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One factor you need to find out about sprawling functions with hundreds of thousands of traces of code is there isn’t a one easy reply. One motion in Photoshop is perhaps sooner than one other. To handle that, we backstop our outcomes with Puget System’s Pugetbench for Photoshop. It’s a check the workstation maker created so it can provide extra correct recommendation to clients who purchase its programs.

In PugetBench, we see the Core i5-12600Ok with a more healthy lead of 13 p.c over the Ryzen 5 5600X, because of a 13 p.c enhance within the GPU rating (sure, the identical GPUs and drivers have been used), a 9 p.c bump for the overall rating, and 15.5 p.c edge within the filter rating.

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PugetBench can be obtainable for Lightroom Classic. The 12th-gen Core i5 opens up a pleasant 16.8 p.c general benefit over its Ryzen rival. The scores break all the way down to a 12 p.c benefit within the lively rating, which refers back to the basic responsiveness whereas enhancing inside Lightroom Classic. For the passive rating, the place file exports hammer extra cores, the Core i5-12600Ok provides a robust 22 p.c lead over the Ryzen 5 5600X.

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Other than picture enhancing, video enhancing might be probably the most demanding duties on a PC. To gauge efficiency there, we use Pugetbench for Premiere Pro, which measures efficiency within the well-liked video editor. Premiere Pro, in contrast to Photoshop, can use way more CPU cores. The general rating for PugetBench provides a downright surprising 64 p.c efficiency result in the Core i5-12600Ok over the Ryzen 5 5600X—however there’s extra nuance to it.

Much of the benefit—which is certainly actual—comes from the dwell playback rating, the place the 12th-gen Core i5 has a 92 p.c benefit over the Ryzen 5. That lead appears to return largely from the built-in graphics cores within the Intel CPU. AMD’s Ryzen CPUs don’t ship with built-in graphics. Pugetbench truly provides the sting to the Ryzen 5 5600X within the export rating by a commanding 21 p.c. It’s principally a tie whereas making use of filter results.

Which is extra necessary? We’ve heard each side. Some say they need sooner file exports, so the Ryzen is perhaps just a little sooner, whereas others say they need probably the most efficiency whereas truly driving Premiere Pro as a result of that’s after they really feel it. In the tip, we’d most likely agree and take the 12600Ok’s sooner playback efficiency over a good, however not big lead in file exports.

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As we mentioned earlier, the specifics of what you do in sprawling utility suite as wealthy as Adobe Creative Cloud can typically can change the efficiency, so we additionally backstop our Pugetbench efficiency checks with UL’s Procyon 2.0 Video Editing check. Like Pugetbench, Procyon measures Premiere Pro efficiency by exporting 4 completely different movies from a timeline with varied results added, comparable to Lumitri Color changes. While PugetBench truly provides larger efficiency to the Ryzen 5 5600X, in Procyon 2.0 the Core i5-12600Ok has a 15 p.c benefit.

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AI efficiency

To have a look at the courageous new world of AI efficiency on desktop PCs, we use Topaz Lab’s Gigapixel AI. It’s an utility that makes use of AI to extra intelligently enhance the decision of images over easier algorithms. For that we activity Gigapixel AI with rising the picture of an F-16 Falcon shot on an 8.2 megapixel digicam a decade in the past by 6x. It’s a completely lifelike use case and one thing that Intel has historically cleaned each AMD and Apple’s clocks on. We time the period it takes to run the enlargement 3 times. Although Ryzen 9 truly pulls of the Core i9, that’s not the story with the extra mainstream chips, because the Core i5-12600Ok completed the enlargement about 8 p.c sooner than Ryzen 5.

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Our second AI efficiency check makes use of Nero’s Score 3.0, which appears at how briskly the CPU is at analyzing and tagging images. The check additionally contains AVC CPU-based encode/decode and general scores, however we’re within the AI efficiency. That provides the 12th-gen Core i5 a crushing 62 p.c benefit over its rival Ryzen 5 in AI-based picture tagging. We’re not that shocked as Intel has pushed AI utilizing its DL Boost parts for years now. Nero’s picture tagging can be constructed on Intel’s OpenVINO so it’s dwelling discipline benefit for the Core i5. Still, AI-based picture recognition manipulation has a brilliant future on the PC so that is nothing to disregard.

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Office productiveness

All of the video enhancing, picture enhancing and 3D rendering is attractive and enjoyable, however what brings dwelling the bacon for most individuals? Microsoft Office. To have a look at Office efficiency, we use UL’s Procyon 2.0 Office Productivity check, which duties Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerLevel and Outlook with a real-world, reality-based (and mind-numbingly boring) activity of enhancing a number of paperwork wealthy with images, artwork, and calculations. New to the check is multi-tasking. While the outdated check ran each after one other, Procyon 2.0 now runs all the apps on the identical time. They’re not all concurrently being “typed on” since that’s unrealistic, however they’re all launched and footage, textual content and different bits are copied and pasted between them—similar to you’ll in a real-life company world surroundings.

Overall, the Core i5-12600Ok holds a good 13 p.c lead over Ryzen 5 5600X. Digging into the scores, that interprets to a 16 p.c lead in Word, 20 p.c lead in Excel, 3.4 p.c in PowerLevel and one way or the other a 10 p.c benefit in Outlook. So sure, in case you don’t need Bill Lumberg to inform you are available on Saturday (and Sunday mmm’kay?) you most likely need your subsequent Office PC to run a 12th gen chip.

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Browser efficiency

Our final tour of the Real World appears at browser efficiency utilizing Google Chrome 95 and three well-liked browser-based benchmarks. All three are delicate to excessive enhance clock efficiency. WebXPRT 3 tries to measure browser efficiency throughout work comparable to comparable to picture enhancement, inventory choice pricing, on-line homework and an OCR scan. It’s not a lot to crow about however the Core i5-12600Ok is barely forward of Ryzen 5, by about 2.6 p.c. In JetStream 2.0, the Core i5 opens up its result in 11.6 p.c. Finally, in Speedometer 2.0 (which is made to measure responsiveness) the Intel CPU provides up a considerable 17 p.c benefit over Ryzen.

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Gaming efficiency

The final utility efficiency class we’ll have a look at is among the most necessary ones, however it’s additionally considerably overly emphasised: PC gaming.

Yes, PC gaming is an immensely necessary consider many laptop purchases, however the position the CPU performs in it—though important—takes a backseat to the GPU. With that mentioned, our testing favors quick CPUs as we use a goal decision 1920×1080 on a 240Hz monitor with a GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition GPU. That setup places as a lot load as attainable on the processor. But the reality is any trendy top-of-the-line AMD or Intel CPU will supply gaming expertise when paired with a stable graphics card. 

With that mentioned, out of the eight video games we ran, Intel had wins in 4, with two ties and two losses. By factors, that offers Intel the benefit, however a few of the losses aren’t attractiveness, comparable to 10 p.c decrease body charges in Rainbow Six Siege. Between these two elements, everybody wins! (But sure, the Core i5-12600Ok wins just a little extra).

There is one shoe but to drop on this dialogue, although: DDR4 vs DDR5 reminiscence. Although DDR5 provides almost double the bandwidth of DDR4, it comes with a better reminiscence latency value. We’ll roll out DDR4 outcomes quickly (our Core i5-12600Ok check machine runs on DDR5) however DDR4 paired with a 12th-gen Core i5 may very well amplify Intel’s place.

Despite that, we predict you need to spend extra time standing in line hoping to purchase a sooner GPU then pouring over charts hoping an additional 5.3 p.c one CPU has over one other goes to magically make your GeForce GTX 670 right into a GeForce RTX 3070. It’s not.

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Power consumption

We’ll shut out with a dialogue about energy consumption. Even earlier than Alder Lake launched, many individuals already believed that Intel’s 12th-gen chips can be an influence hog. And it’s—however solely underneath an all-core load. By monitoring energy consumption in most lighter functions like Photoshop, Chrome, Office and even Premiere in our 12th-gen Core i9 review, we discovered it’s truly far nearer between the Ryzen and Core CPUs, with Intel’s flagship Core i9-12900Ok utilizing much less energy than the Ryzen 9 5950X typically.

With the Core i5-12600Ok and Ryzen 5 5600X, that math adjustments. While the Core i9-12900Ok has an equal variety of bodily cores to the Ryzen 9 5950X, the Core i5-12600Ok truly has extra bodily cores. That can result in outcomes like what you see beneath in Handbrake 1.42, the place we recorded whole system energy consumption (the way you pay your electrical energy) on each CPUs with almost the identical parts inside. As you possibly can see, the Core i5 makes use of about 220 watts whereas working the encode whereas the Ryzen 5 5600X makes use of about 165 watts. The Core i5, nevertheless, finishes the work and begins to idle effectively earlier than the AMD CPU can. Its idle energy can be barely higher than the AMD CPU.

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This final energy hint maybe exhibits the magnitude of distinction between the Core i5-12600Ok and the Ryzen 5 5600X. It data a normal Cinebench R23 run. By default, it runs a render of a body in a loop for round 10 minutes. If the render continues to be in progress when the timer hits 10 minutes, the render continues till it’s performed.

In our energy hint, every time the body is rendered and Cinebench R23 restarts is proven as the ability sagging for just a few seconds after which spiking again up whereas it renders the body.

What you see is the 12th-gen Core i5 system consuming about 220 watts throughout a render versus the 170 watts of the the Ryzen 5. In the identical time, nevertheless, the Core i5-12600Ok manages to render the identical body 14 instances, whereas the Ryzen 5 5600X can solely render the body 9 instances. Holy smokes.

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Thread scaling

We’ll shut this out with a chart of Cinebench, the place we run from one thread to the utmost variety of threads the CPU has. The concept is to get a really feel for the place the chip performs based mostly on the variety of cores or threads an apps may use. Not all functions will use all cores, and never all functions will use a single thread. This supplies some perception into these variables.

If you largely use flippantly threaded duties like Photoshop, Office, or Chrome, you may favor a CPU that’s stronger within the left facet of this chart. If you do a whole lot of core-heavy duties comparable to 3D rendering and even particular monetary modelling in Excel, you might have considered trying a CPU stronger on the correct facet of this chart.

Not that it actually issues right here: Intel’s 12th-gen Core i5-12600Ok is the winner it doesn’t matter what you do. Obviously, you get your most efficiency on multi-core masses, however it’s the winner in nearly each single factor we might run on it.

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Conclusion: Put a fork in it, Ryzen 5 is completed

We can’t write our conclusion with out speaking about value. Today, the Ryzen 5 5600X nonetheless goes for $299 to $309 on the road. Intel’s Core i5-12600Ok is priced at $289 in bulk portions. Its avenue value will little question be larger initially however we wish to level out that after the preliminary demand dies down on CPUs, they usually promote at their bulk “tray” value on the road, and even beneath. That means, in concept, regardless of providing typically 50 p.c extra efficiency, the 10-core Core i5-12600Ok could possibly be promoting for $10 lower than the Ryzen 5 5600X. And in case you’re prepared to skip the built-in graphics, you’re probably $264 for a 10-core Core i5-12600KF chip.

That’s why we’ve got little question that Intel’s Core i5-12600Ok isn’t simply targeted on beating the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X—it goals to erase it from existence. Frankly, it’s exhausting to argue that Core i5 hasn’t simply performed that. Intel’s Core i5-12600Ok is the brand new mainstream CPU champion in nearly each metric that issues.