This budget processor has even more value in this Amazon deal with 16% off
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With the release of the Arrow Lake and Ryzen 9000 processors, it is easy to disregard the previous generation of CPUs as viable options, but they are alive and kicking. If you were looking to build a budget gaming PC and were stuck on which processor to go for, the Intel Core i5-12600K is on sale on Amazon, with its price cut by 16%.
It had a price tag of $175.99, and right now, it is going for $148, meaning you’re saving $27.99. While this might not be a huge amount, you can put this amount toward some other component. Also, this processor had a pretty decent performance in our i5-12600K review and got a 4.5/5 rating. You can check it out for more details.
Intel Core i5-12600K Desktop Processor
Intel Core i5-12600K performance
It wouldn’t be wise to buy a processor without knowing exactly how it performs in real-world scenarios. So, we’ll highlight its gaming and synthetic performance to paint a clear picture that should help you make an informed decision.
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Gaming performance
To gauge its gaming performance, we paired the 12600K with the RTX 4070 Ti Super and ran Days Gone and Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p low. Playing games at FHD puts more strain on the processor, which is why, to test the gaming output of a CPU, 1080p is selected. That being said, we got 222 and 301 FPS, respectively, which is quite impressive, with a 1% low of 149 and 198 FPS.
Synthetic performance
Synthetic testing is done to put the processor in different scenarios and see how it’ll perform. There are various tests, such as Geekbench, Cinebench, CPU-Z, Blender, and more. That being said, these tests are divided into two parts: single-core and multi-core. The single-core output reflects how a processor will handle tasks that require strong core performance, such as gaming, while the multi-core score represents its multi-threaded output, like how it will handle video editing, playing music, and watching a video simultaneously.
In Geekbench single- and multi-core tests, we got 2,626 and 14,498 points. For comparison, the 9600X managed 3,283 and 14,909 in the same test. So, it is close in multi-threaded performance, but the single-core output for the 9600X is much better. Keep in mind that the 12600K came out in 2021.
Who should get this processor?
This processor is a strong option for anyone looking to put together a gaming PC with good gaming and professional performance. While it isn’t the strongest out of the bunch, as is the entry-level CPU for the LGA 1700 socket, you’ll have three complete generations of processors (12th, 13th, 14th) to choose from if you ever want to upgrade for better performance.
Intel Core i7-13700KF Gaming Desktop Processor
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