Both the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900X have 12 core CPUs, but which is the best? I’ve compared both processors in games to demonstrate the differences!
SPECIFICATIONS: Intel i7-12700K vs Ryzen 9 5900X
| 12700K | 5900X | |
| CORES / THREADS | 12C [8P+4E] / 20T | 12C / 24T |
| BASE CLOCK | P 3.6GHZ / E 2.7GHZ | 3.7GHZ |
| BOOST CLOCK | P 5.0GHZ / E 3.8GHZ | 4.8GHZ |
| CACHE [L2/L3] | 12MB / 25MB | 6MB / 64MB |
| MEMORY | DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800 | DDR4-3200 |
| RELEASED | NOV 2021 | NOV 2020 |
| COOLER INCLUDED | NO | NO |
The Intel Core i7-12700K has 8 P cores with hyperthreading and 4 E cores without hyperthreading, making it a 12-core, 20-thread chip.
AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900X, on the other hand, has 12 cores and 24 threads, resulting in 4 more threads and more L3 cache, though Intel has more L2 cache.
PRICE: Intel i7-12700K vs Ryzen 9 5900X
There isn’t much of a pricing difference between the two products. Despite the 5900X’s drop in price to $524 since its launch, the 12700K remains cheaper at $450, or you can save an additional $20 by going with the KF version if you don’t need integrated graphics. So, depending on whether you want the K or KF option, the 5900X costs $74 to $94 more than the Intel option.
DDR5 MEMORY
In addition, Intel’s 12th generation processors were the first to offer DDR5 memory; although the 12th gen also supports older DDR4 memory, the motherboard’s compatibility for DDR5 memory will vary.
TEST SYSTEM SPECS:
| Core i7 12700K | CHECK PRICE |
| MSI MPG Z690 Force | CHECK PRICE |
| 32Gb RAM DDR5 5200Mhz | CHECK PRICE |
| Ryzen 9 5900X | CHECK PRICE |
| ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero | CHECK PRICE |
| 32Gb RAM DDR4 3800Mhz | CHECK PRICE |
| CPU Cooler – MSI MAG CORELIQUID C360 | CHECK PRICE |
| GeForce RTX 3080 10GB | CHECK PRICE |
| SSD – 2xSAMSUNG 970 EVO M.2 2280 1TB | CHECK PRICE |
| Power Supply CORSAIR RM850i 850W | CHECK PRICE |
PERFORMANCE: Intel i7-12700K vs Ryzen 9 5900X
Alright now let’s compare both processors in 5 different games at 1080p resolution! In the results, I have shown you the Average FPS of every Game. After this we will give our conclusion that which one is better and which should you buy? So Let’s see the Gaming Results:
Forza Horizon 5
The Game’s benchmark for Forza Horizon 5 was used to test the game. When compared to the 5900X, the 12700K had a 0.5% higher average frame rate at 1080p.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 was tested in the game’s benchmark, and there’s almost no difference at all, a 5 FPS difference, so let’s go on to the next game.
CYBERPUNK 2077
The game Cyberpunk 2077 was tested in little china and found to be only 11 percent faster on the i7 at 1080p resolution in terms of average frames per second.
Death Stranding
Death Stranding was also tested with the game’s benchmark, and the 5900X performed better this time. It’s not a huge difference, but hey, winning is winning!
PUBG
PUBG was tested with the game’s benchmark. There is only 1FPS difference at 1080p.
VERDICT: Which to Buy For Gaming? Intel i7-12700K or Ryzen 9 5900X
Intel’s i7-12700K performs admirably in terms of raw CPU performance. I mean, the fact that it’s winning most of the tests while being a 20-thread part is impressive, especially because the 5900X has 4 more threads.
The i7 was also theoretically superior in gaming, but the difference wasn’t significant in most of the titles we tested. To be honest, I’d be delighted to run either of these on my machine.
