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 i7-12700

2022

Why buy it

✅+8.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 94.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.2 vs 61.7 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,712 vs 30,055).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.7 vs 120.2 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i7-12700 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-12700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-12700

2022

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅+8.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Delivers 94.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.2 vs 61.7 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,712 vs 30,055).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.7 vs 120.2 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i7-12700 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-12700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12700 better than Ryzen 7 5800X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 5800X is ahead with a 9.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700 pulls ahead with 8.5% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 5800X also has the bigger cache pool with 28% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700 is the better fit. You are getting 8.5% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 20 threads.

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

Core i7-12700 is the smarter buy today. Core i7-12700 is $199 cheaper on MSRP at $250 MSRP versus $449 MSRP, and it gives you 8.5% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 5800X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 9.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 94.8% better value on MSRP (120.2 vs 61.7 PassMark/$), 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 AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 5800X 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?

Core i7-12700 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 12 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i7-12700 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	257 FPS	206 FPS
medium	248 FPS	178 FPS
high	207 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	226 FPS	170 FPS
medium	194 FPS	142 FPS
high	156 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	83 FPS
medium	134 FPS	74 FPS
high	103 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	312 FPS	662 FPS
medium	265 FPS	558 FPS
high	224 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	257 FPS	563 FPS
medium	228 FPS	493 FPS
high	198 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	350 FPS
medium	141 FPS	308 FPS
high	133 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	250 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	751 FPS	693 FPS
medium	610 FPS	651 FPS
high	540 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	458 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	683 FPS	693 FPS
medium	547 FPS	573 FPS
high	479 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	411 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	493 FPS	484 FPS
medium	412 FPS	410 FPS
high	369 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	311 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	751 FPS	693 FPS
medium	751 FPS	693 FPS
high	664 FPS	693 FPS
ultra	590 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	730 FPS	693 FPS
medium	651 FPS	693 FPS
high	560 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	593 FPS
4K
low	513 FPS	604 FPS
medium	468 FPS	550 FPS
high	414 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700 and Ryzen 7 5800X

Core i7-12700

The Core i7-12700 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 25 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: 30,055 points. Launch price was $349.

Ryzen 7 5800X

The Ryzen 7 5800X 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 27,712 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700 packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5800X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-12700 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-12700 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800X — a 4.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i7-12700 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700 scores 30,055 against the Ryzen 7 5800X's 27,712 — a 8.1% lead for the Core i7-12700. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
Cores / Threads	12 / 20+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+4%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.8 GHz+81%
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	32 MB+28%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	30,055+8%	27,712
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,568	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,497	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,448	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-12700 versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 5800X — the Core i7-12700 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-12700) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 5800X) — the Ryzen 7 5800X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,Z790 (Core i7-12700) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 5800X).

Feature	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 5800X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-12700) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5800X). The Core i7-12700 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen 7 5800X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-12700 targets Gaming, Ryzen 7 5800X targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700 rivals Ryzen 7 5700X.

Feature	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 7 5800X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x / VT-d / EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700 launched at $250 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 5800X debuted at $449. On MSRP ($250 vs $449), the Core i7-12700 is $199 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-12700 delivers 120.2 pts/$ vs 61.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5800X — making the Core i7-12700 the 64.3% better value option.