PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-12700TE

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,744 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 52.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($378 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+10.6% higher PassMark.
✅+28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅Delivers 39.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 52.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i7-12700TE moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-12700TE

2022

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+10.6% higher PassMark.
✅+28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅Delivers 39.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 52.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,744 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 52.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($378 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i7-12700TE moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i7-12700TE?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 10.6% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, the two CPUs are effectively a wash in the available data.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 10.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is $79 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $378 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 39.9% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 52.2 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i7-12700TE can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i7-12700TE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-12700TE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	169 FPS	203 FPS
medium	153 FPS	174 FPS
high	128 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	169 FPS
medium	121 FPS	141 FPS
high	99 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	85 FPS
medium	71 FPS	76 FPS
high	57 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	319 FPS	464 FPS
medium	273 FPS	387 FPS
high	230 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	397 FPS
medium	241 FPS	334 FPS
high	210 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	263 FPS
medium	150 FPS	226 FPS
high	142 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	494 FPS	546 FPS
medium	494 FPS	473 FPS
high	494 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	494 FPS	508 FPS
medium	494 FPS	413 FPS
high	445 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	450 FPS	348 FPS
medium	363 FPS	292 FPS
high	323 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	266 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	494 FPS	546 FPS
medium	494 FPS	546 FPS
high	494 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	494 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	494 FPS	546 FPS
medium	494 FPS	546 FPS
high	494 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	494 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	494 FPS	529 FPS
medium	474 FPS	484 FPS
high	423 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700TE and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i7-12700TE

The Core i7-12700TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 19,744 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700TE packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-12700TE has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-12700TE versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — identical boost frequencies (base: 1.4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i7-12700TE uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700TE scores 19,744 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 10.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700TE vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	12 / 20+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	3.7 GHz+164%
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	32 MB+28%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-30%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	19,744	21,845+11%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700TE uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-12700TE) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700TE launched at $378 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($378 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $79 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-12700TE delivers 52.2 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 33.2% better value option.