Comparing 5 Generations of Intel i5 Processors! 12600K vs 11600K vs 10600K vs 9600K vs 8600K

I’ve compared the last 5 generations of Intel i5 processors in games and applications so you can see if it’s time to upgrade your CPU or save money buying an older model! Check prices 👇

Test PC Components:

EVERYTHING I USE:

FOLLOW ME:

5 Generation Intel i5 Comparison Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:10 CPU Spec Differences
0:32 Test PC
1:02 Windows 11
1:29 Cinebench R23
2:07 Linux Kernel Compilation
2:35 Blender Open Data
2:59 V-Ray
3:31 Corona Renderer
3:46 Handbrake
4:25 Adobe Premiere
4:41 DaVinci Resolve
5:01 Adobe Photoshop
5:19 Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook)
5:31 7-Zip Compression & Decompression
5:43 AES Encryption & Decryption
5:56 GeekBench
6:04 9600K vs 8600K - All Application Differences
6:30 10600K vs 9600K - All Application Differences
6:48 11600K vs 10600K - All Application Differences
7:03 12600K vs 11600K - All Application Differences
7:36 12600K vs 8600K - All Application Differences
7:51 12600K vs 9600K - All Application Differences
8:01 12600K vs 10600K - All Application Differences
8:15 Power Draw
8:43 Temperatures
9:15 Far Cry 6
9:55 Cyberpunk 2077
10:38 Microsoft Flight Simulator
10:59 Watch Dogs Legion
11:41 Control
12:08 F1 2021
12:36 Rainbow Six Siege
12:49 Red Dead Redemption 2
13:10 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
13:38 Shadow of the Tomb Raider
14:02 10 Game FPS Average
14:37 Cost Per Frame Value
15:20 Cost Per Cinebench Point
15:44 Conclusion - Which Intel i5?

This i5 comparison includes the following old vs new configurations:
8600K vs 12600K
9600K vs 12600K
10600K vs 12600K
11600K vs 12600K

[JarrodsTech]

All testing here was done at stock, no MCE or OC or anything, other than XMP profile on the memory as mentioned.

[earnistse]

The core i5 8400 was kinda legendary. It was such a great value when it was new and it’s still not a bad entry level option if you can find it for a good price

[williaamlarsson]

I upgraded from an i5 6600K to the 12600K and the difference has been really impressive 😄

[Emre_Toprak]

I am using i5 8600k since 2018 Q1 and i could overclocked it to 4.9GHZ. The cpu runs between 70-75 degrees with a good air cooler. Last summer i also delided the cpu and changed the termal paste with liquid metal. Now it runs between 62-67 degrees at rendering.

[ryandraycott]

I really like these kind of comparisons, thank you for putting in the time and effort. I also think it would be interesting to see the IPC/architectural improvements made from one generation to the next. Can you carry out a comparison where you lock in the CPU's at the same frequency and core/thread counts between generations, say 4Core/4Ghz/single thread? We would then be able to see the actual IPC and architectural improvements through each generation negating any performance improvements brought about by increasing clock speeds and adding additional cores/threads.

[jazzyjazbtw]

i5 8600k was a king of a cpu then, got mine in 2017 december and looking to upgrade 4 years later to a i7 12700k to improve my 1% lows and overall smoother experience.

[__aceofspades]

Ive been extremely happy going from my 9700k to a 12600k. HUGE single thread gains, and INSANE multi-threaded gains. FPS has been higher in games with way less microstutters and 1% lows. I couldnt be happier with 12th gen.

[ewigan]

That video was so helpful, and felt like it was made for me. Thank you so much!
I am running an i5-8600k, oc'ed to 5GHZ, with an 3070 at 1440p. And i was thinking "it is getting old, i might get so much more power out of a new CPU...."
your testing made it clear to me: there is just no need. My PC is only used for gaming, and it will held up for quite a while longer.

Again: Thank you so much!

[KimBoKastekniv]

This (and last week's i7 video) is incredibly useful information.

[mattfarrar]

8th Gen is still beast for gaming! I've been on the 8700k and there is nothing wrong with it I just ordered a 12700k to keep up with times, lose less resale and for rendering improvements.
But if you're a gamer 8th Gen is still perfectly fine!

[tyre]

looks like the 6c6t parts are headed towards the same direction 4c4t did

[alexgontijo]

This and the other one about the I7 are the best videos of the year. Congrats and thank you for the great comparisons!!! Have you thought about doing it with Ryzen in 2022?

[vali]

Man it's been a little over a year since gpus became this big and I still haven't gotten used to them. I don't want to know how they'll look in a few years.

[gate]

Been watching your videos for about 2 years, and they just keep getting better! I'm rather a mobile workstation type guy than gaming laptop. Is there a considerable difference in fluidity when using windows virtual machines on a 120hz laptop? It should be illegal for manufacturers to ship 60hz laptops in 2021 lol.

[denverag]

In these kind of multi-core tests such as blender or cinebench, an all E core i5 (28-36 E cores) would perform similarly to a 5950x, or even a 24 core threadripper, but in gaming these cores would perform more like a Haswell based 2695 V3, maybe the broadwell based 2660V4

[CHITUS]

Thanks. I'm thinking of budget build and 11600K and MB is decently priced, plus I have a cooler that fits the older socket. 11th gen had such a bad rep, I didn't want to go there, but really it's looks pretty good here. Not as good as 12th gen but it is better than 10th gen nearly everywhere except power draw.

[GameplayUnboxed]

This is one of the best comparison video I have seen, beautifully made! Subscribed!

[hicknopunk]

I run a i5 1600k at minimum clock speed of 5.1ghz at 39C. I do have 6 120mm fans and a MASSIVE hearsink in a max airflow antec case.

[CYER]

damn, these are by far the best comparisons on youtube. thank you so much!

[sevbait]

Thanks for comparing the 8600k to the 12600k, I couldn't find that anywhere! Tons of great detail 👌