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 i5-12600K

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 95.5 vs 120.4 PassMark/$ ($289 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $289 MSRP).
✅Delivers 26.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.4 vs 95.5 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $289 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,565 vs 27,586).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-12600K

2021

Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($229 MSRP vs $289 MSRP).
✅Delivers 26.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.4 vs 95.5 PassMark/$ ($229 MSRP vs $289 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 95.5 vs 120.4 PassMark/$ ($289 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,565 vs 27,586).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12600K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 better than Core i5-12600K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is ahead with a 12.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12600K pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 also has the bigger cache pool with 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-12600K is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is $60 cheaper on MSRP at $229 MSRP versus $289 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i5-12600K is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.1% better PassMark. It is also 26.1% better value on MSRP (120.4 vs 95.5 PassMark/$), 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 i5-12600K 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 PRO 7645 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021) and 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB). 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 i5-12600K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
1080p
low	311 FPS	246 FPS
medium	292 FPS	228 FPS
high	244 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	267 FPS	217 FPS
medium	223 FPS	182 FPS
high	181 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	151 FPS
medium	142 FPS	127 FPS
high	109 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	85 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
1080p
low	576 FPS	525 FPS
medium	487 FPS	441 FPS
high	405 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	332 FPS
1440p
low	466 FPS	451 FPS
medium	411 FPS	392 FPS
high	352 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	305 FPS	288 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	283 FPS
medium	249 FPS	251 FPS
high	233 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	203 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
1080p
low	690 FPS	689 FPS
medium	635 FPS	689 FPS
high	561 FPS	689 FPS
ultra	476 FPS	689 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	689 FPS
medium	566 FPS	689 FPS
high	495 FPS	689 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	621 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	539 FPS
medium	426 FPS	471 FPS
high	382 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	341 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
1080p
low	690 FPS	689 FPS
medium	690 FPS	689 FPS
high	690 FPS	689 FPS
ultra	644 FPS	689 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	689 FPS
medium	689 FPS	689 FPS
high	599 FPS	689 FPS
ultra	526 FPS	645 FPS
4K
low	542 FPS	675 FPS
medium	495 FPS	594 FPS
high	444 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	389 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12600K and Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

Core i5-12600K

The Core i5-12600K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture. It features 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,586 points. Launch price was $289.

Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

The Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 27,565 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12600K packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-12600K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-12600K versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 — a 4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-12600K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12600K scores 27,586 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645's 27,565 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i5-12600K. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-12600K vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645.

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	3.8 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+60%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	27,586	27,565
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,472	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,863	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	128	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12600K) / not specified (Ryzen 5 PRO 7645). The Core i5-12600K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12600K targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-12600K rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12600K launched at $289 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 debuted at $229. On MSRP ($289 vs $229), the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is $60 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12600K delivers 95.5 pts/$ vs 120.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 — making the Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 the 23.1% better value option.