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 i5-12600

2022

Why buy it

✅+4% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 14) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,400 vs 2,500).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 91.8 vs 120.0 PassMark/$ ($233 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅+4.2% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $54 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.0 vs 91.8 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (10,000 vs 10,400).

Core i5-12600

2022

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅+4% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅42.9% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 14) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+4.2% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $54 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).
✅Delivers 30.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.0 vs 91.8 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $233 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,400 vs 2,500).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 91.8 vs 120.0 PassMark/$ ($233 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (10,000 vs 10,400).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8500G better than Core i5-12600?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 8500G is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12600 pulls ahead with 4% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12600 is the better fit. You are getting 4% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 8500G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 8500G is $54 cheaper on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $233 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i5-12600 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 4% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 30.8% better value on MSRP (120.0 vs 91.8 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 8500G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022). 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 i5-12600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8500G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	274 FPS	267 FPS
medium	260 FPS	238 FPS
high	220 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	231 FPS
medium	204 FPS	186 FPS
high	166 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	159 FPS
medium	142 FPS	130 FPS
high	110 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i5-12600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	525 FPS	455 FPS
medium	438 FPS	371 FPS
high	369 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	326 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	435 FPS	394 FPS
medium	375 FPS	338 FPS
high	326 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	290 FPS	287 FPS
medium	256 FPS	251 FPS
high	235 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i5-12600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	535 FPS	537 FPS
medium	535 FPS	537 FPS
high	535 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	535 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	537 FPS
medium	535 FPS	537 FPS
high	535 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	476 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	508 FPS	497 FPS
medium	451 FPS	418 FPS
high	391 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	327 FPS	293 FPS

Open Core i5-12600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	535 FPS	537 FPS
medium	535 FPS	537 FPS
high	535 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	535 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	535 FPS	537 FPS
medium	535 FPS	537 FPS
high	535 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	521 FPS	537 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	537 FPS
medium	501 FPS	519 FPS
high	439 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i5-12600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12600 and Ryzen 5 8500G

Core i5-12600

The Core i5-12600 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5x, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,383 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 8500G

The Ryzen 5 8500G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,481 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12600 and Ryzen 5 8500G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i5-12600 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8500G — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-12600 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12600 scores 21,383 against the Ryzen 5 8500G's 21,481 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,400 vs 2,500, a 4.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,400 vs 10,000 (3.9% advantage for the Core i5-12600). L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8500G.

Feature	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.5 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	21,383	21,481
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,310
Geekbench 6 Single	2,400	2,500+4%
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,400+4%	10,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12600 uses the FP7/FP8 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 8500G supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12600) vs 14 (Ryzen 5 8500G) — the Core i5-12600 offers 6 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B660,Z690 (Core i5-12600) and A620,B650,B650E,X670,X670E,B840,B850,X870,X870E (Ryzen 5 8500G).

Feature	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
Socket	FP7/FP8	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20+43%	14

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 8500G has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12600) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 8500G). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-12600) and Radeon 740M (Ryzen 5 8500G) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12600 targets Mainstream Desktop, Ryzen 5 8500G targets General Use. Direct competitor: Core i5-12600 rivals Ryzen 5 5600; Ryzen 5 8500G rivals Core i5-13400.

Feature	Core i5-12600	Ryzen 5 8500G
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Radeon 740M
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Mainstream Desktop	General Use

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12600 launched at $233 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8500G debuted at $179. On MSRP ($233 vs $179), the Ryzen 5 8500G is $54 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12600 delivers 91.8 pts/$ vs 120.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8500G — making the Ryzen 5 8500G the 26.7% better value option.