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 105W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,744 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 52.2 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($378 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.5% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅Delivers 81.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 52.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 105W vs 35W.

Core i7-12700TE

2022

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 105W, a 70W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.5% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅Delivers 81.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 52.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $378 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,744 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 52.2 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($378 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7600X can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 105W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core i7-12700TE?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 37.5% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 43.5% 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, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 37.5% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better fit. You are getting 43.5% 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 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is $79 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $378 MSRP, and it gives you a 37.5% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 81.4% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 52.2 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 5 7600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 12/20. 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 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	169 FPS	266 FPS
medium	153 FPS	246 FPS
high	128 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	226 FPS
medium	121 FPS	189 FPS
high	99 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	157 FPS
medium	71 FPS	131 FPS
high	57 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	319 FPS	649 FPS
medium	273 FPS	524 FPS
high	230 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	544 FPS
medium	241 FPS	455 FPS
high	210 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	341 FPS
medium	150 FPS	290 FPS
high	142 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	494 FPS	708 FPS
medium	494 FPS	652 FPS
high	494 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	448 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	494 FPS	708 FPS
medium	494 FPS	554 FPS
high	445 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	450 FPS	463 FPS
medium	363 FPS	392 FPS
high	323 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	266 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	494 FPS	708 FPS
medium	494 FPS	708 FPS
high	494 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	494 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	494 FPS	708 FPS
medium	494 FPS	708 FPS
high	494 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	494 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	494 FPS	560 FPS
medium	474 FPS	502 FPS
high	423 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i7-12700TE Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700TE and Ryzen 5 7600X

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 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700TE packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X 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 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 14.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 1.4 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i7-12700TE uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700TE scores 19,744 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 35.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700TE vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	12 / 20+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5.3 GHz+15%
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	4.7 GHz+236%
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+28%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	6 MB+380%
Process	10 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-50%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	19,744	28,325+43%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700TE uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-12700TE) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i7-12700TE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i7-12700TE	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700TE launched at $378 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($378 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $79 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-12700TE delivers 52.2 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 57.8% better value option.