DIYIntel64% by Neofiliac Team77% by External Reviewers

Intel Core i5-12600K Alder Lake

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Product Overview

Intel Core i5-12600K is an unlocked desktop microprocessor based on Intel's 11th-gen Core Alder Lake architecture. Like the i7-12700K and i9-12900K unveiled at the same time, it uses a new-to-x86 "hybrid" architecture that, in this case, combines 6 performance cores with 4 efficiency cores.
This setup is intended to allow for higher efficiency while making the designs of the performance cores simpler. With Intel's move to the Intel 7 (10nm) process, the i5-12600K is able to stay at turbo clock for much longer than its predecessor could. At the same time, Intel is able to do away with the "TDP-down" mode.
Other highlights include supports for DDR5 and PCIe 5, though compatible hardware remains pricey and hard to find.
Those who do not need the integrated UHD 770 graphics (which now supports 8K) may be interested in the i5-12600KF instead: as a non-GPU model, it comes with a marginally lower price tag.

Ratings

What we found

Neofiliac score 64%
Pros
  • 10 cores / 16 threads
  • Supports DDR5 memory
  • ECC memory
  • Has integrated graphics
  • PCIe 5.0 support
Cons

    What external reviewers found

    External score 77%
    Pros
    • Great performance on multi-core and multi-threaded workloads
    • Excellent battery life
    • High-quality build quality
    • Top-notch content creation and gaming performance
    • Competitive price for a 12th-gen Core i5-12600K
    Cons
    • Not as powerful as AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X
    • Alder Lake is a bit pricey
    • LGA 1700 CPU cooler not included

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    Specifications

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    External Reviews

    pcmag[1]

    Reviewer score 74% (normalized by Neofiliac)
    Reviewers from pcmag have found:
    The Intel Core i5-12600K is shockingly good at content creation in many instances. It's awesome...in isolation. The Intel UHD XeLP graphics platform continues to trail AMD's Radeon RX Vega graphics. For PC gamers-constrained creative types, the "Alder Lake" processor punches well above its weight.
    Pros
    • Top-notch content creation and gaming performance
    • High-quality build quality
    • Excellent battery life
    Cons
    • Alder Lake is a bit pricey
    • LGA 1700 CPU cooler not included

    pcworld[2]

    Reviewer score 81% (normalized by Neofiliac)
    Reviewers from pcworld have found:
    Intel’s 12th-gen Core i5-12600K is the winner no matter what you do. Obviously, you get your most performance on multi-core loads, but it's the winner in almost every single thing we could run on it. Despite that, we think you should spend more time standing in line hoping to buy a faster GPU then pouring over charts.
    Pros
    • Great performance on multi-core and multi-threaded workloads
    • Competitive price for a 12th-gen Core i5-12600K
    Cons
    • Not as powerful as AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X

    Also Check

    Product ComparisonProducts in DIYProducts by IntelKeyword alder-lakeKeyword pcie-5

    References

    1. ^ Intel Core i5-12600K Review. [pcmag].
    2. ^ Intel Core i5-12600K review: The new mainstream CPU champ crushes Ryzen. [pcworld].

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