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 i9-12900TE

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.3 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $195 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 46.3 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-12900TE across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 22,887).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i9-12900TE moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i9-12900TE

2022

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Costs $195 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 46.3 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.3 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-12900TE across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 22,887).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i9-12900TE moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-12900TE better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Yes. Core i9-12900TE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 10.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 4.8% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-12900TE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900TE is the better fit. You are getting 4.8% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads.

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

Core i9-12900TE is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-12900TE is 65.2% more expensive on MSRP at $494 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 57.7% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 46.3 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 5600X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i9-12900TE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 24 threads instead of 6/12. 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 i9-12900TE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	254 FPS	203 FPS
medium	239 FPS	174 FPS
high	201 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	169 FPS
medium	187 FPS	141 FPS
high	153 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	85 FPS
medium	128 FPS	76 FPS
high	100 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	330 FPS	464 FPS
medium	281 FPS	387 FPS
high	235 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	397 FPS
medium	242 FPS	334 FPS
high	209 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	169 FPS	263 FPS
medium	151 FPS	226 FPS
high	142 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	572 FPS	546 FPS
medium	572 FPS	473 FPS
high	572 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	508 FPS
medium	572 FPS	413 FPS
high	572 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	348 FPS
medium	495 FPS	292 FPS
high	440 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	572 FPS	546 FPS
medium	572 FPS	546 FPS
high	572 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	546 FPS
medium	572 FPS	546 FPS
high	572 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	529 FPS
medium	572 FPS	484 FPS
high	511 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900TE and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-12900TE

The Core i9-12900TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 30 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: 22,887 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 i9-12900TE packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-12900TE has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-12900TE versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900TE (base: 1.1 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-12900TE 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 i9-12900TE scores 22,887 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 4.7% lead for the Core i9-12900TE. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900TE vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+167%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+4%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	3.7 GHz+236%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	32 MB+7%
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	22,887+5%	21,845

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900TE uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
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 i9-12900TE) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900TE launched at $494 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($494 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $195 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900TE delivers 46.3 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 44.8% better value option.