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

✅+9.4% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,472 vs 2,605).
❌Launch MSRP is still $289 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1462.5% higher power demand at 125W vs 8W.

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅+5.4% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 8W instead of 125W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 17,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Core i5-12600K

2021

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅+9.4% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅+5.4% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 8W instead of 125W, a 117W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,472 vs 2,605).
❌Launch MSRP is still $289 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1462.5% higher power demand at 125W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 17,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS better than Core i5-12600K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS is ahead with a 2.9% 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 9.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i5-12600K also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 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 9.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-12600K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $289 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i5-12600K is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 9.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i5-12600K is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (95.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 9 PRO 7940HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 9 PRO 7940HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	311 FPS	269 FPS
medium	292 FPS	243 FPS
high	244 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	267 FPS	236 FPS
medium	223 FPS	193 FPS
high	181 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	164 FPS
medium	142 FPS	136 FPS
high	109 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	577 FPS	513 FPS
medium	487 FPS	421 FPS
high	405 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	467 FPS	448 FPS
medium	411 FPS	388 FPS
high	352 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	305 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	282 FPS	295 FPS
medium	249 FPS	267 FPS
high	233 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	690 FPS	683 FPS
medium	635 FPS	683 FPS
high	561 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	476 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	683 FPS
medium	566 FPS	637 FPS
high	495 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	541 FPS
medium	426 FPS	473 FPS
high	382 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	355 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
1080p
low	690 FPS	683 FPS
medium	690 FPS	683 FPS
high	690 FPS	683 FPS
ultra	644 FPS	683 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	683 FPS
medium	689 FPS	683 FPS
high	599 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	526 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	542 FPS	572 FPS
medium	495 FPS	511 FPS
high	444 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	389 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12600K and Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS

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 9 PRO 7940HS

The Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 27,318 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12600K packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i5-12600K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-12600K versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS (base: 3.7 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i5-12600K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12600K scores 27,586 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS's 27,318 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-12600K. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 17,500 vs 16,000 (9% advantage for the Core i5-12600K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,472 vs 2,605, a 5.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,863 vs 10,348 (13.6% advantage for the Core i5-12600K). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-12600K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS.

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
Cores / Threads	10 / 16+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.2 GHz+6%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	4 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	8 MB+540%
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	27,586	27,318
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,500+9%	16,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,472	2,605+5%
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,863+15%	10,348

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS uses FP7/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i5-12600K versus DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS — the Core i5-12600K supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-12600K supports up to 128 of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i5-12600K) and SoC (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS).

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS
Socket	LGA1700	FP7/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+95900%	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128	64 GB+52428700%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12600K) vs Yes (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i5-12600K) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12600K targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-12600K rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.