i5-12600K vs Ryzen 5 7600
They perform within a few percent of each other at 1080p, and the i5-12600K costs about $107 less right now. For the money, the i5-12600K is the better buy.
Processor · better value
Core i5-12600K
—
No new stock · used about $167
- Cores / threads
- 10C/16T
- Socket
- LGA1700
- Memory
- DDR4 or DDR5
- Peak power
- 150 W
- Cooler in the box
- No
- Built-in graphics
- Yes
- Released
- 2021
Processor
Ryzen 5 7600
$274
cheapest new: at Amazon AU · used about $155
- Cores / threads
- 6C/12T
- Socket
- AM5
- Memory
- DDR5
- Peak power
- 88 W
- Cooler in the box
- Yes
- Built-in graphics
- Yes
- Released
- 2023
Average frame rates
Estimated across demanding games at High settings, each tested with an RTX 5090 and 32 GB of fast memory, so the processor is what limits the frame rate.
Cost per frame at 1080p: i5-12600K $1 · Ryzen 5 7600 $2
Game by game at 1080p
| Game | i5-12600K | Ryzen 5 7600 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 121 | 124 | Ryzen 5 7600 +2% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 129 | 132 | Ryzen 5 7600 +2% |
| Fortnite | 177 | 182 | Ryzen 5 7600 +3% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 353 | 364 | Ryzen 5 7600 +3% |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 149 | 154 | Ryzen 5 7600 +3% |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | 109 | 112 | Ryzen 5 7600 +3% |
Which processor should you buy?
- Better value: the i5-12600K costs less per frame ($1 vs $2 per fps at 1080p).
- They need different motherboards: the i5-12600K uses LGA1700 and the Ryzen 5 7600 uses AM5.
- For video editing, 3D and other work that uses every core, the i5-12600K is about 27% faster.
- The Ryzen 5 7600 comes with a cooler in the box; budget about $40–80 for a cooler for the other.
See how either processor pairs with your graphics card in the bottleneck checker.
Related comparisons
Frame rates are Rigsmith estimates from its performance indices, not measured benchmarks. Prices are the cheapest in-stock new price at Australian stores as of 12/11/2026, including GST.