Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i9-12900

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i5-12500 or Intel Core i5-12500 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i5-12500 features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-12500, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
The Intel Core i9-12900 features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-12900, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i5-12500 Name Intel Core i9-12900
Intel Core i5 Family Intel Core i9
12 Generation 12
Intel Core i 12000 Group Intel Core i 12000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i5-12500 has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-12500 is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.6 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i9-12900 has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.4 GHz.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
4.6 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) None
None None 5.1 GHz
None None 1.8 GHz
None None 2.4 GHz
None None 8x Gracemont
None None 8x Golden Cove
No Overclocking No
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
3.0 GHz Frequency None
None None 3.8 GHz
12 Threads 24
4.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) None
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
6 CPU Cores 16
6x Golden Cove Cores None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i5-12500 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-12500 uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i9-12900 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900 uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
0.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.3 GHz
Q4/2021 Release date Q4/2021
12 Direct X 12
Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 770
10 nm Technology 10 nm
-- Max. displays --
256 Shaders 256
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
32 Execution units 32
11 Generation 11
1.45 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.55 GHz
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode AVC Decode / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode AV1 Decode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 2
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
Yes ECC Yes
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
117 W TDP (PL2) 202 W
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i5-12500 is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 18.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i9-12900 is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 30.0 MB cache.
Q1/2022 Release date Q1/2022
-- Part Number --
7.5 MB L2-Cache 14.0 MB
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Alder Lake S Architecture Alder Lake S
10 nm Technology 10 nm
LGA 1700 Socket LGA 1700
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
202 $ Release price 489 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
18.0 MB L3-Cache 30.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
36739
36739
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
20002
20002

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
26455
26455
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
12974
12974

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15712
15712
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
8973
8973

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15367
15367
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
10401
10401

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
10097
10097
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
4960
4960

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
2637
2637
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
2365
2365

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1988
1988
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
1804
1804

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1968
1968
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
1804
1804

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
764
764
Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.0 GHz
688
688

Intel Core i5-12500 and Intel Core i9-12900 in leaderboards