Intel’s latest 10-core i5-12600K Alder Lake desktop processor offers an impressive 50% 64-core performance improvement over it's predecessor. The 12600K combines six hyper-threaded Golden Cove P-cores with clock speeds up to 4.9 GHz and four energy efficient Gracemont E-cores for a total of 16 threads. Alder Lake CPUs have a new LGA 1700 socket which requires new cooler brackets and a new Z690 motherboard. Z690 brings several new features including PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 memory. Most Z690 boards will ship in both DDR4 and DDR5 variants. DDR4 is likely the better option, at least until DDR5 prices settle. With an MRSP of just $290 USD, the 12600K is both cheaper and faster than the competition in both single and, notably, multi-core performance. As a result, even AMD's prolific marketing infrastructure (youtube, reddit, forums etc.) will struggle to drive sales, at least until Zen 4 launches (est. late 2022). In the meantime, Intel's i5-12600K is the obvious choice for consumers that do not wish to pay over the odds for almost unparalleled performance in the majority of workloads including gaming. That said, gamers that already own a K series CPU from the 8th gen. or higher will see limited gains in the majority of titles when paired with a 3060 (or lower) tier GPU. In some cases (e.g. PUBG or Overwatch) gamers will see fewer frame drops by disabling the E-Cores all together. If recent history is a guide, stock levels at MSRP are likely to deplete rapidly. [Nov '21CPUPro]
The Intel Core i5-13500 offers an interesting mix of performance and value that will likely capture the attention of savvy PC builders providing its MSRP of $235 USD holds true. The 13500 features the same 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores as the i5-13600K, which currently retails for $320 USD. However, it has a lower boost clock frequency (4.8 GHz versus 5.1 GHz) and less cache (35.5 MB versus 44 MB) which translates to a 10% performance disadvantage against the 13600K. Nevertheless, paired with a B660 motherboard and inexpensive DDR4, the 20 thread i5-13500, is a very capable mid-range processor for both gaming and multi-threaded tasks. Compared to AMD’s similarly priced, hex-core Ryzen 5 7600 and 7600X, the 13500 offers better gaming and 50% faster multi-core performance which is particularly beneficial to workstation and professional users. Intel has completely priced AMD's 7000 series CPUs out of the rational market. Despite this, as long as Intel continues to sample and sponsor marketers that are mostly funded by AMD, they will struggle to win market share. [Jan '23CPUPro]
We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]
Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.