Intel Core i5-12600K vs. i5-11600K: Should you upgrade?

The New

Intel Cadre i5-12600K

12th Gen Intel Core i5

The One-time

Intel Core i5-11600K

Intel Core i5 11600K

Intel has been out of the game for a few years now, just it'south set up to throw some hard-hitting punches back at AMD with its new 12th Gen processors. The Core i5-12600K is i of the highlights of this generation, sporting 10 physical cores, 16 threads, and an affordable toll for a killer gaming PC.

$320 at Newegg

Pros

Far more powerful
Supports DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0
Newer 10nm procedure
Ability and efficient hybrid cadre pattern

Cons

More expensive
Requires Z690 motherboard

The Intel Cadre i5-11600K wasn't particularly heady since nix was really "new." Certain, it was better than the Core i5-10600K, but if you owned that older CPU there wasn't a big reason to upgrade. While information technology may take been a piffling disappointing at launch, it'southward still a good mid-range processor for a gaming PC.

$250 at Newegg

Pros

Works with older Z590 motherboards
Can exist found heavily discounted
Still a decent mid-range CPU

Cons

No DDR5 or PCIe 5.0 support
Older 14nm process

The Intel Core i5-12600K is the best CPU choice here, even if you're looking to get the best value. At full MSRP, there'south no questioning the performance on offering, not to mention DDR5 support in the future if you lot want to stay with DDR4 right at present. The only time you'll want to consider the Cadre i5-11600K is when you're sticking with a 500-serial chipset motherboard.

Intel Core i5-12600K vs. i5-11600K: Specs

Category	Intel Core i5-12600K	Intel Core i5-11600K
Cores/threads	10/xvi	6/12
Base of operations frequency	P: three.7GHz E: ii.8GHz	iii.9GHz
Boost	P: four.9GHz E: iii.6GHz	4.9GHz
Turbo Heave Max 3.0	❌	❌
Memory	DDR4-3200/DDR5-4800 Up to 128GB	DDR4-3200 Up to 128GB
L3 cache	20MB	12MB
Integrated graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Intel UHD Graphics 750
PCIe	PCIe Gen v.0 x twenty	PCIe Gen 4.0 x 20
TDP	125W	125W
Manufacturing node	10nm	14nm
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1200
Cost	$320	$250

Intel'south 12600K is the new gaming CPU king

Intel 12th Gen Corei5 Chip Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

Alder Lake is what Intel pushed forward with for its 12th generation of processors. Utilizing the visitor's Intel 7 (10nm) manufacturing process and following the "big.Footling" hybrid design principle nosotros've seen with ARM chips like the M1 from Apple, Intel is bringing the hybrid design to the desktop PC market place.

Inside the Intel Core i5-12600K, you'll find a healthy mix of both high-functioning Aureate Cove and more power-efficient Gracemont cores. The goal is to bring together very ability-efficient single-threaded cores that handle depression-priority tasks with more than traditional PC-grade multi-thread, high-performance cores that can handle everything else.

Aureate Cove cores will handle all the main tasks like of import processes, games, in-utilise apps, and other tasks while other, lower-priority apps and tasks get pushed off onto the Gracemont cores, freeing upwardly resource. The end result is a core and thread configuration that seems out of place in 2022.

The Core i5-12600K has 10 physical cores (eight functioning and two efficient) and 16 threads. This is a substantial comeback on the last-gen CPU that only had vi cores and 12 threads. Clock speeds are about the same with the 12600K starting at ii.8GHz and 3.7GHz for the efficient and performance cores, respectively.

twelfth Gen Intel CPUs not just add PCIe 5.0 support but also DDR5 too. This allows the 12600K to get upwardly to DDR5-4800, though you could button it college with more expensive RAM kits. Other improvements to the newer Cadre i5 include considerably more than cache and better integrated graphics.

The result is considerable gains in games and general calculating. To put the above charts into perspective, the Core i5-12600K was beating the Core i9-11900K, which is incredible and shows how much of a boost this is compared to the outgoing Core i5-11600K. If you desire the all-time performer for your buck, the newer scrap is for you.

12600K is the latest and greatest

Intel is back in the game with the 12600K, moving from a 14nm manufacturing process to 10nm. This allows the company to cram more onto the same-sized bit and have it run more than efficiently. Simply Intel didn't stop there. 12th Gen processors come with efficient and power cores, which unlocks new levels of efficiency and performance. Just make certain to buy the best motherboards for Intel Cadre i5-12600K.

Truly next-gen

12th Gen Intel Core i5

Intel Core i5-12600K

For building the best gaming PC

Intel had to make a large wave with the twelfth Gen family of processors and the company unleashed a seismic sea wave. The Core i5-12600K is an impressive feat of engineering, cramming 10 physical cores onto a scrap that costs just $320. The new hybrid cadre design allows for it to be both efficient and powerful enough for the most demanding games.

You can find the 11600K discounted

The Core i5-11600K may not be the best from Intel, and compared to the newer 12600K, information technology's not even in the same league, merely yous can discover one of these mid-range processors at a disbelieve. Even outside of promotions like Amazon Prime and Black Friday, the 11600K is near $70 more than affordable.

14nm++++

Intel Core i5 11600K

Intel Core i5-11600K

If you lot don't want to upgrade

The newer Core i5 is the better selection, but if yous don't want to use DDR5 RAM and/or don't want to buy a new motherboard, the older Core i5-11600K may be the CPU for yous. Information technology's still an fantabulous processor with six physical cores and 12 threads and will exist absolutely fine paired upwardly with a capable NVIDIA or AMD GPU.

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