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

✅+137.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $710 less on MSRP ($289 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 246.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 95.5 vs 27.5 PassMark/$ ($289 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3r2 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

2017

Why buy it

✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,040 vs 2,472).
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,000 vs 11,863).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 27.5 vs 95.5 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $289 MSRP).
❌44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on SP3r2 with DDR4, while Core i5-12600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i5-12600K

2021

Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

2017

Why buy it

✅+137.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $710 less on MSRP ($289 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 246.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 95.5 vs 27.5 PassMark/$ ($289 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 180W, a 55W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of SP3r2 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950X, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,040 vs 2,472).
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,000 vs 11,863).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 27.5 vs 95.5 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $289 MSRP).
❌44% higher power demand at 180W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on SP3r2 with DDR4, while Core i5-12600K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-12600K better than Ryzen Threadripper 1950X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1950X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-12600K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-12600K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.0% 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, Core i5-12600K is the better fit. You are getting 31.8% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i5-12600K is the smarter buy today. Core i5-12600K is $710 cheaper on MSRP at $289 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 246.9% better value on MSRP (95.5 vs 27.5 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i5-12600K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of SP3r2, and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/32. 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 Threadripper 1950X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
1080p
low	311 FPS	198 FPS
medium	292 FPS	172 FPS
high	244 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	267 FPS	155 FPS
medium	223 FPS	129 FPS
high	181 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	69 FPS
medium	142 FPS	61 FPS
high	109 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
1080p
low	576 FPS	407 FPS
medium	487 FPS	365 FPS
high	405 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	466 FPS	348 FPS
medium	411 FPS	318 FPS
high	352 FPS	272 FPS
ultra	305 FPS	224 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	224 FPS
medium	249 FPS	204 FPS
high	233 FPS	185 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	150 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
1080p
low	690 FPS	687 FPS
medium	635 FPS	687 FPS
high	561 FPS	687 FPS
ultra	476 FPS	687 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	687 FPS
medium	566 FPS	687 FPS
high	495 FPS	656 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	584 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	519 FPS
medium	426 FPS	428 FPS
high	382 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	321 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
1080p
low	690 FPS	687 FPS
medium	690 FPS	687 FPS
high	690 FPS	687 FPS
ultra	644 FPS	640 FPS
1440p
low	690 FPS	687 FPS
medium	689 FPS	687 FPS
high	599 FPS	611 FPS
ultra	526 FPS	510 FPS
4K
low	542 FPS	578 FPS
medium	495 FPS	517 FPS
high	444 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	389 FPS	382 FPS

Open Core i5-12600K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12600K and Ryzen Threadripper 1950X

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 Threadripper 1950X

The Ryzen Threadripper 1950X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 27,487 points. Launch price was $999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-12600K packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-12600K versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X — a 20.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-12600K (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-12600K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12600K scores 27,586 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X's 27,487 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-12600K. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,472 vs 1,040, a 81.5% lead for the Core i5-12600K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,863 vs 9,000 (27.4% advantage for the Core i5-12600K). L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-12600K vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X.

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
Cores / Threads	10 / 16	16 / 32+60%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+23%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+9%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	32 MB+60%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	27,586	27,487
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,472+138%	1,040
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,863+32%	9,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12600K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i5-12600K versus DDR4-2666 on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X — the Core i5-12600K supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper 1950X supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-12600K) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950X). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-12600K) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950X) — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i5-12600K) and X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950X).

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
Socket	LGA1700	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+119900%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128	256 GB+209715100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	64+220%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12600K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 1950X). The Core i5-12600K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12600K targets Gaming, Ryzen Threadripper 1950X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i5-12600K rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i5-12600K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-12600K launched at $289 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X debuted at $999. On MSRP ($289 vs $999), the Core i5-12600K is $710 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-12600K delivers 95.5 pts/$ vs 27.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X — making the Core i5-12600K the 110.5% better value option.