Ryzen 5 5600 vs Intel Core i5-12600KF — Specs & Performance Compared
Verdict: The Intel Core i5-12600KF is ahead of the Ryzen 5 5600 on all 7 shared benchmarks on file, by 20% to 60%, including 60% in Cinebench R23 multi (17,579 vs 10,953).
Side-by-side CPU comparison of the Ryzen 5 5600 and the Intel Core i5-12600KF. Released 2022 (Ryzen 5 5600), 2021 (Intel Core i5-12600KF). MSRP range: $199 · $264. Specs, synthetic benchmarks, AI inference tok/s, and Amazon availability below; each column header links to that part's benchmark page.
Intel Core i5-12600KF
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Price and availability subject to change.
Where to buy
A listing for each part; the current price and stock are on the retailer's page.
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Ryzen 5 5600 | Intel Core i5-12600KF |
|---|---|---|
| cores | 6 | 10 |
| threads | 12 | 16 |
| p cores | — | 6 |
| e cores | — | 4 |
| base clock ghz | — | 3.7 |
| boost clock ghz | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| tdp w | 65 | 125 |
| l3 cache mb | 32 | 20 |
| process nm | — | 10 |
| socket | AM4 | LGA1700 |
Synthetic benchmarks
Each row says whether a higher or a lower number is better (ranks and times are lower-is-better). Scores come from TechPowerUp, GadgetVersus, CGDirector, PCBench, WePC, Geekbench Browser, HardwareDB, CpuTronic, PassMark Software and HWBOT; each row links its sources, and where they differ the cell shows their median. Empty cells mean we don't yet have that benchmark on file for the SKU.
| Benchmark | Ryzen 5 5600 | Intel Core i5-12600KF |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 multi (higher is better) Source: TechPowerUp, GadgetVersus, CGDirector, PCBench |
10,953 points | 17,579 points |
| Cinebench R23 single (higher is better) Source: TechPowerUp, GadgetVersus, CGDirector, PCBench |
1,462 points | 1,860 points |
| Cinebench R23 single-core (higher is better) Source: WePC |
1,306 pts | — |
| Geekbench 5 single-core (higher is better) Source: WePC |
1,386 pts | — |
| Geekbench 6 multi (higher is better) Source: Geekbench Browser, HardwareDB, GadgetVersus, CpuTronic |
8,674 points | 11,934 points |
| Geekbench 6 single (higher is better) Source: Geekbench Browser, HardwareDB, GadgetVersus, CpuTronic |
2,052 points | 2,470 points |
| PassMark CPU Mark (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
21,518 points | 27,529 points |
| PassMark CPU Single Thread Rating (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
3,253 points | — |
| PassMark Single Thread (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
3,254 points | 3,915 points |
| PassMark Single Thread Rating (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
3,254 points | 3,916 points |
| Y-cruncher Pi 1B (lower is better) Source: HWBOT |
41 | — |
Quick answers
Which is faster, the Ryzen 5 5600 or the Intel Core i5-12600KF?
The Intel Core i5-12600KF is ahead of the Ryzen 5 5600 on all 7 shared benchmarks on file, by 20% to 60%, including 60% in Cinebench R23 multi (17,579 vs 10,953).
What did the Ryzen 5 5600 and the Intel Core i5-12600KF cost at launch?
The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at a $199 MSRP and the Intel Core i5-12600KF at $264. Street prices drift from launch pricing; the Where to buy section links current listings.
Keep exploring
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 Parts List
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- ComfyUI on a 12GB RTX 3060: Install + Stable Diffusion Throughput 2026
- Best CPU for Streaming and Gaming on AM4 in 2026
- Voodoo 5 6000 Lab Method: Two Motherboards, One Dead BIOS
- HyperX QuadCast 2 vs Blue Yeti for Streaming & Podcasting (2026)
- Crucial BX500 1TB vs Samsung 870 EVO: Best SATA SSD for a Budget or Retro Build (2026)
- Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 7 5800X for 1080p Gaming in 2026
- gpt-oss on a 12GB GPU: 2026 Community Consensus (RTX 3060)
- Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Intel Core i7-14700K for DDR4 Gaming
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
- Intel Arc A770 16GB for Local LLMs: 2025–2026 Guide
- AI-Driven Sound Blaster Driver Install on WinXP via Vision LLM
- AI-Driven Vintage Driver Install on WinXP: Using Vision-LLM to Walk a Voodoo + Audigy Setup
- Intel Arc Pro B60 Price: Is $999 Worth It in 2025?
- Ollama vs llama.cpp for Qwen 3.6 27B on a 12GB RTX 3060
- Windows XP Gaming Laptops in 2026: A Realistic Buying Guide
- Best Raspberry Pi Alternatives 2026: 5 SBCs After the Price Hikes
- Best Budget PC Gaming Upgrades Under $150 in 2026
- AMD RX 9070 XT Hits All-Time Low $629 in Amazon Lightning Sale
- Raspberry Pi Projects for Teens: Best Builds 2026
- Noctua NH-U12S vs ML240L RGB on a Ryzen 7 5800X
- OpenAI and Anthropic Are Giving Startups Free Compute — Here's the Local Rig That Replaces It
- Best Retro Mini Console & Handheld in 2026
- When Does a Homelab Become a Job?
- The vLLM MCP Vulnerability: What Local LLM Operators Need to Do
More buying guides from SpecPicks
Browse all buying guides →- Best PC Cases for Building in 2026
- Best GPUs for 4K Gaming in 2026
- Best Retro Gaming Consoles & Handhelds for 2026
- Best GPU for Running 27B-32B Local LLMs in 2026
- Best 1440p 240Hz Gaming Monitors in 2026
- Best DDR5 RAM for Gaming PCs in 2026
- Best GPUs for Running Local LLMs in 2026
- Best NVMe External Enclosures for 2026
- Best CPUs for Gaming in 2026
- Best AM5 Motherboards for 2026
- Best 4K Monitors for Content Creators in 2026
- Best Gaming Mice for 2026
- Best CPUs for Content Creators in 2026
- Best CPU Coolers for 2026
- Best Tools for Building and Repairing Retro PCs in 2026
- Best Controllers for PC Gaming in 2026
- Best External SSDs for Content Creators in 2026
- Best Gaming Monitors for 2026
- Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2026
- Best NVMe SSDs for Gaming in 2026
- Best Mechanical Keyboards for Gaming in 2026
Hardware benchmark data on SpecPicks
All benchmarks →- Ryzen 3 7320U — benchmarks & specs
- GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX — benchmarks & specs
- GeForce 4 Ti 4400 — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 7 4800H — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7640HS — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 5 1600 — benchmarks & specs
- Intel 875 Chipset Motherboard — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 3 5300GE — benchmarks & specs
- Radeon RX 7700S — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 7 5700X — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 7 7445HS — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500H — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX — benchmarks & specs
- 3dfx Voodoo5 6000 — benchmarks & specs
- GeForce RTX 6080 — benchmarks & specs
- RTX5000-Ada-4Q — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX — benchmarks & specs
- Apple M2 Pro 10 Core 3480 MHz — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 5 7520C — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT — benchmarks & specs
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti — benchmarks & specs
- NVIDIA H100 PCIe 80GB — benchmarks & specs

