Core i7-12700K vs Core i5-12600K

CPU Head-to-Head · FPS & Value Comparison

Core i7-12700K vs Core i5-12600K: Gaming Performance Comparison in 1080p Ultra

In gaming, the Core i7-12700K delivers approximately +5% higher frame rates compared to the Core i5-12600K in 1080p Ultra. For budget-conscious buyers, the Core i5-12600K currently offers +14.5% better value, available at a $42.16 price difference.

Core i7-12700K Advantages

Up to 5% faster in gaming benchmarks on average – 165 vs 157 FPS

More processing cores – 12 vs 10 cores

Core i5-12600K Advantages

Up to 14.5% better value for money – $1.32 vs $1.52/FPS

Costs only 83% of the price – $208 vs $250 (17% cheaper)

Performance Analytics

Average FPS across 21 games · all benchmarks use the same test suite

1080p Low

Full HD — min settings

AVG FPS
Core i7-12700K
165fps(100%)
Core i5-12600K
157fps(95%)
WinnerCore i7-12700K
+5% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (Core i5-12600K FPS ÷ Core i7-12700K FPS) × 100
Example: (157 ÷ 165) × 100 = 95%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((Core i7-12700K FPS - Core i5-12600K FPS) ÷ Core i5-12600K FPS) × 100
Example: ((165 - 157) ÷ 157) × 100 = 5%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If Core i5-12600K is only 95% as fast, then Core i7-12700K should be 5% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "5% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (95% of and 5% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

Efficiency Coefficient 1080p Ultra (Higher = Better Value)

Performance delivered per currency unit: FPS/$

Core i7-12700K
0.660 Value87% Efficiency
Core i5-12600K
0.755 Value100% Efficiency