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IntelBX8071512600K
IntelBX80684I99900K

10 Cores, 16 Threads @3.7GHz, Alder Lake.
Release date: Q4 2021.

8 Cores, 16 Threads @3.6GHz, Coffee Lake.
Release date: Q4 2018.

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 455,786 user samples
101,563 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 117% Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 5 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 100% Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 2.35 GHz (avg)
Poor: 100% Great: 117%
SPEED RANK: 58th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 109%
UFO
Desktop
Desktop 110%
UFO
Workstation
Workstation 111%
UFO
354,223 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 104% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 5.2 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 89% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 1.3 GHz (avg)
Poor: 89% Great: 104%
SPEED RANK: 105th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 98%
Nuclear submarine
Desktop
Desktop 98%
Nuclear submarine
Workstation
Workstation 97%
Nuclear submarine
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed
109 % Faster effective speed.
+11%
97.9 %
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency
80 Pts 93.1 Pts Lower memory latency.
+16%
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed
194 Pts Much faster single-core speed.
+37%
142 Pts
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed
382 Pts Much faster dual-core speed.
+36%
281 Pts
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed
736 Pts Much faster quad-core speed.
+34%
551 Pts
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed
1,223 Pts Faster octa-core speed.
+25%
981 Pts
Memory
OC Memory Latency
91.1 Pts 97.2 Pts Slightly lower OC memory latency.
+7%
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed
207 Pts Much faster OC single-core speed.
+35%
153 Pts
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed
416 Pts Much faster OC dual-core speed.
+36%
305 Pts
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed
813 Pts Much faster OC quad-core speed.
+35%
604 Pts
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed
1,367 Pts Faster OC octa-core speed.
+22%
1,116 Pts
Market Share
Based on 69,027,063 CPUs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0.79 % 1.38 % Much higher market share.
+75%
Value
Value For Money
125 % Much better value.
+40%
89.5 %
User Rating
UBM User Rating
96 % More popular.
+13%
85 %
Price
Price (score)
$165 Much cheaper.
+57%
$385
Age
Newest
36 Months Much more recent.
+50%
72 Months
TDP
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
125 Watts 95 Watts More energy efficient.
+24%
Cores
CPU Processing Cores
10 cores Higher core count.
+25%
8 cores
Threads
CPU Processing Threads
16 threads 16 threads
Lithography
Manufacturing process
10 nm Newer manufacturing.
+29%
14 nm
Base Clock
Base Clock Speed
3.7 GHz +3% 3.6 GHz
Turbo Clock
Turbo Clock Speed
4.9 GHz 5 GHz +2%
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed
1,926 Pts Faster OC 64-core speed.
+21%
1,590 Pts
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed
1,743 Pts Faster 64-core speed.
+20%
1,451 Pts
Series
CPU Architecture
Alder Lake Coffee Lake
Socket
Motherboard Socket
FCLGA1700 FCLGA1151
Graphics
Integrated Graphics
UHD 770 UHD 630

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 '21 CPUPro]

MORE DETAILS

The Intel i9-9900K is an 8 core, 16 thread, unlocked 9th generation Coffee Lake processor. It has a base / boost clocks of 3.6 / 4.7 GHz and a single-core boost of 5.0 GHz (the highest frequency achieved yet from this class of Intel CPU). It features 16 MB of cache, a 95W TDP and Intel UHD 630 graphics. The 9900K is compatible with the new Z390 chipset, and subject to a BIOS update, is also compatible with the older Z370 chipset. Aimed at users who do not wish to compromise, the i9-9900K offers the best gaming and desktop experience available at any price. Heavy workstation users should consider the Ryzen 9 3900X which is similarly priced. Comparing the overclocked 3900X shows that it is just 10% worse for gaming and desktop (sub octa-core) but around 40% better for 64-core computations. Gamers should consider the 9700K which offers identical overclocked gaming performance at a $100 USD discount. [Oct '18 CPUPro]

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Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) November 2024 CPU Rankings

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]

Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.
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The Best
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-12600K $165Nvidia RTX 4060 $290WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $129
Intel Core i5-13600K $210Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $389WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $80
Intel Core i5-12400F $111Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $406
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