AMD Ryzen 9 3950X vs Intel Core i5-12600K
38.6Single-core65.2
64.6Multi-core50.8
79Gamingspec-based52.1
9 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 9 3950X8 spec wins — Intel Core i5-12600K
InnoReviews verdict
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X wins this desktop processor face-off, 60.4 to 55.4, pulling ahead mainly in multi-core (+14). Intel Core i5-12600K still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
- Stronger multi-core score: 65 vs 51
- 220% higher L3 cache: 64 MB vs 20 MB
- 167% higher Performance cores: 16 vs 6
- 100% higher threads: 32 vs 16
- 60% higher cores: 16 vs 10
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-12600K
- Stronger single-core score: 65 vs 39
- 37% higher Cinebench R23 (single): 1,809 vs 1,320
- 25% higher PCIe version: 5 vs 4
- 19% higher L2 cache: 10 MB vs 8 MB
- Lower launch price: $318 vs $749
General
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019 | 2021 |
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1700 |
| Process | 7 nm+30% | 10 nm |
| Base TDP | 105 W+16% | 125 W |
| Max turbo power | 142 W | 150 W+6% |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | Yes |
| Cooler included | No | No |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 16+60% | 10 |
| Performance cores | 16+167% | 6 |
| Efficiency cores | 0 | 4 |
| Threads | 32+100% | 16 |
| Base clock | 3.5 GHz | 3.7 GHz+6% |
| Boost clock | 4.7 GHz | 4.9 GHz+4% |
| L2 cache | 8 MB | 10 MB+19% |
| L3 cache | 64 MB+220% | 20 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | — | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,450 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR4-3200 | DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 |
| Max memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Memory channels | 2 | 2 |
Platform
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe version | 4 | 5+25% |
| CPU PCIe lanes | 24+20% | 20 |
Benchmarks
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,570Bottom 37% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 13,300Top 39% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,320Bottom 36% | 1,809+37%Top 38% |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 24,700+46%Top 22% | 16,878Top 37% |
| PassMark | 39,000+42%Top 27% | 27,501Top 47% |
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