Core i5-12600KF
VS
EPYC 7401P

Core i5-12600KF vs EPYC 7401P

Intel

Core i5-12600KF

10 Cores16 Thrd125 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2021
VS
AMD

EPYC 7401P

24 Cores48 Thrd155 WWMax: 3 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-12600KF

#57
Ryzen 7 5700G
MSRP: $359|Avg: $160
105%
#58
Ryzen 7 5700X
MSRP: $299|Avg: $175
105%
#59
Core i5-9500
MSRP: $192|Avg: $65
104%
#60
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX
MSRP: $429|Avg: $450
103%
#61
Core i9-9960X
MSRP: $1684|Avg: $200
103%
#62
Core Ultra 5 225T
MSRP: $240|Avg: $180
103%
#63
Ryzen 3 3300X
MSRP: $120|Avg: $90
103%
#64
Core i5-12600K
MSRP: $289|Avg: $185
103%
#65
Core Ultra 5 235
MSRP: $257|Avg: $269
102%
#66
Ryzen 7 5700
MSRP: $179|Avg: $164
102%
#67
Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $90
102%
#68
Ryzen 3 4100
MSRP: $99|Avg: $75
102%
#69
Ryzen 9 9900X
MSRP: $499|Avg: $370
101%
#70
Ryzen 5 7600
MSRP: $229|Avg: $185
101%
#71
Core i5-14490F
MSRP: $209|Avg: $190
100%
#72
Core i5-12600KF
MSRP: $264|Avg: $190
100%
#73
Core i5-13600KF
MSRP: $249|Avg: $258
100%
#74
Ryzen 5 5500GT
MSRP: $125|Avg: $130
100%
#75
Ryzen 7 PRO 4750G
MSRP: $309|Avg: $140
99%
#75
Ryzen 7 1700
MSRP: $140|Avg: $185
73%
#76
Ryzen 7 7700X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $249
98%
#77
Ryzen 9 5900XT
MSRP: $349|Avg: $311
98%
#78
Core i5-12500
MSRP: $212|Avg: $140
97%
#79
Core i5-14600K
MSRP: $329|Avg: $275
97%
#80
Ryzen 7 7700
MSRP: $329|Avg: $246
96%
#81
Core i5-13400F
MSRP: $196|Avg: $180
96%
#82
Core i3-12100T
MSRP: $125|Avg: $90
96%
#83
Core i7-11700F
MSRP: $298|Avg: $150
95%
#84
Core i3-10105F
MSRP: $97|Avg: $65
94%
#85
Core i5-9400T
MSRP: $182|Avg: $60
94%
#86
Core i7-12700KF
MSRP: $384|Avg: $250
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar EPYC 7401P

#41
Xeon W-2195
MSRP: $150|Avg: $5
127%
#49
EPYC 7401P
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#50
Xeon Gold 6238R
MSRP: $2612|Avg: N/A
99%
#54
EPYC 4465P
MSRP: $399|Avg: $399
85%
#55
Ryzen 5 PRO 7645
MSRP: $229|Avg: $192
82%
#56
Xeon E5-4667 v3
MSRP: $128|Avg: $128
82%
#59
Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
MSRP: $409|Avg: $450
78%
#60
Xeon Platinum 8571N
MSRP: $599|Avg: $418
78%
#61
Xeon Platinum 8270
MSRP: $7405|Avg: N/A
77%
#62
EPYC 4464P
MSRP: $429|Avg: $450
75%
#63
EPYC 4345P
MSRP: $329|Avg: $329
74%
#64
EPYC 4344P
MSRP: $329|Avg: $314
73%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The EPYC 7401P is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i5-12600KFEPYC 7401P
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($190)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) / Intel 7 nm)
✨ Modern (Naples (2017−2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-12600KF ($190), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($190 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i5-12600KFEPYC 7401P
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($190)
More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-12600KF and EPYC 7401P

Intel

Core i5-12600KF

The Core i5-12600KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture. It features 10 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 9.5 MB. Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 27,594 points. Launch price was $264.

AMD

EPYC 7401P

The EPYC 7401P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 27,836 points. Launch price was $1,075.

Processing Power

The Core i5-12600KF packs 10 cores / 16 threads, while the EPYC 7401P offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the EPYC 7401P has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i5-12600KF versus 3 GHz on the EPYC 7401P — a 48.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-12600KF (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-12600KF uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 7401P uses Naples (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-12600KF scores 27,594 against the EPYC 7401P's 27,836 — a 0.9% lead for the EPYC 7401P. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i5-12600KF vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7401P.

FeatureCore i5-12600KFEPYC 7401P
Cores / Threads
10 / 16
24 / 48+140%
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz+63%
3 GHz
Base Clock
3.7 GHz+85%
2 GHz
L3 Cache
20 MB (total)
64 MB (total)+220%
L2 Cache
9.5 MB+1800%
512K (per core)
Process
Intel 7 nm-50%
14 nm
Architecture
Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
Naples (2017−2018)
PassMark
27,594
27,836
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-12600KF uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the EPYC 7401P uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-12600KFEPYC 7401P
Socket
LGA1700
TR4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+25%
PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed
4800
Max RAM Capacity
128
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12600KF) / not specified (EPYC 7401P). Direct competitor: Core i5-12600KF rivals Ryzen 5 5600X.

FeatureCore i5-12600KFEPYC 7401P
Integrated GPU
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d