[SOLVED] i5 12600k vs i7 12700k for gaming?

[JasonJJJ]

Hi all,

Is it worth it for me to get the i7 12700k for gaming vs. the i5 12600k?

It's a $100 difference and I'm willing to pay the extra $90 if it means a much better CPU over the long run.

I play at 1920 x 1080p

Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Single thread performance is very similar.
Multi thread, the i7 wins hands down.

Depends on what you use the system for.

 

[JasonJJJ]

Single thread performance is very similar.
Multi thread, the i7 wins hands down.

Depends on what you use the system for.

Thanks, it will mostly be for playing video games. Would multi thread be more for making graphics as opposed to single thread which would be for gaming?

 

[Lafong]

The 12700K has 2 additional P cores. That gives it a 23 percent multi-thread advantage in a well known benchmark.

You say "is it worth it" and "if it means a much better CPU" and "mostly" for gaming.

I don't think you can get an accurate answer to comparisons without having both CPUs in front of you doing your particular tasks or playing your specific games. Preferably with a stopwatch at hand.

I doubt you will do that.

Therefore you guess/hope/take a leap of faith.

Choose from:

Spending the additional 100 dollars "foolishly" on the 12700K

or

Exposing yourself to the horror of buyer's remorse after buying the 12600K.

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks, it will mostly be for playing video games. Would multi thread be more for making graphics as opposed to single thread which would be for gaming?

For a game system, the i5.
But if you are going to delve into other things that would benefit from the multi thread performance....the i7.

And of course, budget.
"worth" is all up to you.

 

[JasonJJJ]

The 12700K has 2 additional P cores. That gives it a 23 percent multi-thread advantage in a well known benchmark.

You say "is it worth it" and "if it means a much better CPU" and "mostly" for gaming.

I don't think you can get an accurate answer to comparisons without having both CPUs in front of you doing your particular tasks or playing your specific games. Preferably with a stopwatch at hand.

I doubt you will do that.

Therefore you guess/hope/take a leap of faith.

Choose from:

Spending the additional 100 dollars "foolishly" on the 12700K

or

Exposing yourself to the horror of buyer's remorse after buying the 12600K.

Which would you choose?

 

[Lafong]

Which would you choose?

I don't game at all, so my use case is different than yours.

Actually, that's a lie. I play Solitaire and Hearts occasionally.

My dilemma was the 12600K versus the 12700 non-K.

In a genius move, I've solved that by deciding to buy neither and instead wait for the 13th generation and go with DDR5 rather than DDR4. Kicking the can down the road for 9 months or a year.

For you:

You could buy the 12600K and give the $100 you saved to the SPCA to help puppies and kitties and feel quite warm and fuzzy and selfless for doing so.

However....if you'd actually spend the $100 on wine, women, and song, then get the 12700K and feel quite sensible for not being that frivolous.

Does that help?

 

[Phaaze88]

Game performance is still bound by a single core/thread - don't get pulled in to all that multicore hogwash, unless there's more than just gaming involved.

Only you can answer the worth it question.

'Much better cpu'? The difference between these 2 cpus in the part that matters most for games - single core/thread performance - is in the single digits(%).
Sample 1
Sample 2
5 - 10 years down the road, neither will matter compared to whatever comes out at that time.

 

[mdd1963]

Gaming-wise, it does not appear the 12700K is 'worth it' considering the levels of performance offered by the 12600K ...currently.

(That being said, I personally would prob spring for the 12700K hoping it'd last an extra year or two just because of the couple extra P cores, if the extra $100 was not that big a deal, and, buying the system for myself. BUt, current comparisons show the 12600K is 'plenty'!

Good luck whichever way you choose to proceed! (Both are great!)