AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs Intel Core i5-12600K
Our index puts the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X roughly 7% ahead of the Intel Core i5-12600K. This is an estimate for ranking, not a measured benchmark, and the gap varies considerably by title and by resolution.
| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 3900X | Intel Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AMD | Intel |
| Generation | Zen 2 | 12th Gen (Alder Lake) |
| Multi-thread index | 150 (better) | 140 |
| Single-thread index | 94 | 112 (better) |
| Cores | 12 (better) | 10 |
| Threads | 24 (better) | 16 |
| Base clock | 3.8 GHz (better) | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.9 GHz (better) |
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1700 |
| TDP | 105 W (better) | 125 W |
| Release year | 2019 | 2021 (better) |
| Integrated graphics | No | Yes |
Green marks the stronger figure for that row only — for power draw and PSU requirement, lower is treated as better. Performance indexes are CanMyPcPlay estimates; read how they are derived.
Which should you pick?
- Games follow single-thread. For gaming, the single-thread index matters more than core count.
- Creative work follows multi-thread. Rendering, compiling and encoding scale with cores.
- Sockets differ. Moving between platforms usually means a new motherboard and often new memory.