Core i5-12500 vs Ryzen 5 8640HS

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 i5-12500

2022

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Ryzen 5 8640HS needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 8640HS.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,739 vs 19,851).
❌Launch MSRP is still $212 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 8640HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Ryzen 5 8640HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12500.

Core i5-12500

2022

Ryzen 5 8640HS

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Ryzen 5 8640HS needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 8640HS.

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,739 vs 19,851).
❌Launch MSRP is still $212 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 8640HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-12500.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8640HS better than Core i5-12500?

Yes. Ryzen 5 8640HS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.6% 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 8640HS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8640HS is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 8640HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 8640HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $212 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-12500 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (93.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 8640HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-12500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8640HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12500	Ryzen 5 8640HS
1080p
low	186 FPS	261 FPS
medium	170 FPS	237 FPS
high	142 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	230 FPS
medium	133 FPS	190 FPS
high	107 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	159 FPS
medium	81 FPS	133 FPS
high	65 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	50 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Ryzen 5 8640HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12500	Ryzen 5 8640HS
1080p
low	493 FPS	371 FPS
medium	428 FPS	309 FPS
high	362 FPS	272 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	236 FPS
1440p
low	433 FPS	313 FPS
medium	373 FPS	270 FPS
high	324 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	278 FPS	207 FPS
4K
low	289 FPS	234 FPS
medium	254 FPS	206 FPS
high	234 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	161 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Ryzen 5 8640HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12500	Ryzen 5 8640HS
1080p
low	493 FPS	496 FPS
medium	493 FPS	496 FPS
high	493 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	496 FPS
1440p
low	493 FPS	496 FPS
medium	493 FPS	496 FPS
high	491 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	440 FPS	443 FPS
4K
low	456 FPS	493 FPS
medium	401 FPS	435 FPS
high	345 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	308 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Ryzen 5 8640HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12500	Ryzen 5 8640HS
1080p
low	493 FPS	496 FPS
medium	493 FPS	496 FPS
high	493 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	496 FPS
1440p
low	493 FPS	496 FPS
medium	493 FPS	496 FPS
high	493 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	496 FPS
4K
low	493 FPS	496 FPS
medium	482 FPS	496 FPS
high	422 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	355 FPS	380 FPS

Open Core i5-12500 Open Ryzen 5 8640HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12500 and Ryzen 5 8640HS

Core i5-12500

The Core i5-12500 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,739 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 8640HS

The Ryzen 5 8640HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,851 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-12500 and Ryzen 5 8640HS share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-12500 versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8640HS — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8640HS (base: 3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-12500 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8640HS uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12500 scores 19,739 against the Ryzen 5 8640HS's 19,851 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 8640HS. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12500 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8640HS.

Feature	Core i5-12500	Ryzen 5 8640HS
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.9 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3 GHz	3.5 GHz+17%
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)	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	19,739	19,851
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,978	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,319	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,003	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12500 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 8640HS uses FP8 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12500	Ryzen 5 8640HS
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12500) / not specified (Ryzen 5 8640HS). The Core i5-12500 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen 5 8640HS requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12500 targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-12500 rivals Ryzen 5 5500.