Intel Core i5-12600H vs Intel Core i5-13490F Comparison

The Intel Core i5-12600H and Intel Core i5-13490F represent two distinct interpretations of Intel's hybrid architecture, tailored for different market segments. The 12600H is a mobile processor designed for laptops, while the 13490F is a desktop part. Despite sharing a similar naming scheme, their architectural goals and resulting performance profiles differ significantly. The benchmark data shows a clear and consistent performance advantage for the desktop chip across every single recorded workload, making the comparison more about quantifying that lead than determining a winner.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: Intel Core i5-12600H has 12 cores, while the Intel Core i5-13490F has 10 cores. However, both processors support 16 threads.

Q: What is the difference in their boost clocks?

A: The Intel Core i5-13490F has a higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz, while the Intel Core i5-12600H boosts up to 4.50 GHz. The base clocks are 2.50 GHz for the 13490F and 2.70 GHz for the 12600H.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory types?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i5-12600H and the Intel Core i5-13490F support DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Neither supports ECC memory.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core i5-13490F has a larger L3 cache at 24 MB (shared), compared to the 18 MB (shared) found on the Intel Core i5-12600H. Their L1 and L2 caches are identical at 80 KB per core and 1.25 MB per core, respectively.

Q: What are the market segments for these two chips?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600H is designated as a Mobile processor, while the Intel Core i5-13490F is a Desktop processor. This is reflected in their sockets and power targets.

Q: In the head-to-head comparison, which CPU won more tests?

A: The Intel Core i5-13490F won all 17 benchmark comparisons, while the Intel Core i5-12600H did not win any.

Where Each One Wins

The data from the head-to-head benchmarks is unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-13490F achieves a higher score in every single recorded test. There are no workload categories where the Intel Core i5-12600H manages to outperform its desktop counterpart. This makes the choice between them straightforward for performance, but the decision is more nuanced when considering the platform.

The Intel Core i5-12600H is the only option for mobile computing, as it is the sole chip with a mobile market segment and integrates Iris Xe graphics. It is not a choice, but a requirement for a laptop platform. The Intel Core i5-13490F, being a desktop part, is the clear winner for building a desktop system where performance is the primary goal. Its wins span all categories, from single-threaded tasks to heavily multithreaded workloads like data compression and physics calculations.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on different architectural foundations, despite both being fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node. The 12600H uses the Alder Lake architecture, specifically the Alder Lake-H codename, representing the mobile high-performance variant. In contrast, the 13490F uses the Raptor Lake architecture, with the Raptor Lake-S codename, which is the desktop iteration. This generational shift, from 12th Gen to 13th Gen, is a key factor in their performance differential.

The core counts also differ, with the mobile chip having 12 cores and the desktop chip having 10. Despite having fewer physical cores, the 13490F is able to achieve a higher performance, indicating architectural efficiency and higher clock speeds. The process node is listed as 10 nm for both, and the die size is very similar at 217 mm² for the 12600H and 215 mm² for the 13490F. The integrated graphics are a major difference: the 12600H includes an Iris Xe 80EU GPU, while the 13490F has no integrated graphics, as indicated by a null value. This makes the 13490F a "F" series chip, requiring a discrete graphics card for any display output.

Specification Differences

The specifications of the two processors differ in several key areas, reflecting their distinct target platforms. The Intel Core i5-13490F has a higher TDP at 65 watts, compared to the 45 watts of the Intel Core i5-12600H, which is typical for a desktop part with more thermal headroom. The socket types are incompatible: the 12600H uses Intel BGA 1744, which is a ball-grid array for soldered mobile use, while the 13490F uses Intel Socket 1700, a land-grid array for desktop motherboards.

The PCIe support also differs, with the 12600H offering Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the 13490F offers the newer Gen 5 standard with 16 lanes (CPU only). This is a notable advantage for the desktop chip in terms of bandwidth for future storage and graphics cards. The base clock rates are 2.70 GHz for the 12600H and 2.50 GHz for the 13490F, but the boost clock is higher on the desktop part at 4.80 GHz versus 4.50 GHz. The market segment is listed as Mobile for the 12600H and Desktop for the 13490F, and the release date is only provided for the 13490F, which was 2023-02-09.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark scores show a consistent and significant performance lead for the Intel Core i5-13490F across all tests. In Cinebench, the desktop chip leads in both multi-core and single-core tests. In Cinebench R23, the 13490F scores 22747 versus 20072 for the 12600H, a difference of 11.8%. Similarly, in Cinebench R20 Multi-Core, the 13490F scores 9553 against 8430, again an 11.8% advantage. The single-core tests also show the 13490F ahead, with a Cinebench R23 score of 3211 compared to 2833.

The largest performance deltas appear in Passmark's specialized tests. The most significant win for the 13490F is in the Passmark Extended Instructions test, where it scores 20837 versus 14508, a 30.4% advantage. This indicates a strong lead in workloads that use advanced CPU instructions. The `passmark_find_prime_numbers` test shows the 13490F is 37.7% faster, scoring 114 versus 71. The data compression test shows a 24.7% lead for the desktop chip, with a score of 328397 versus 247404, and the physics test shows a 34.1% lead (1915 vs 1262). Even in the `passmark_single_thread` test, the 13490F leads by 9.8%, scoring 3829 against 3453. This consistent across the board all 17 head-to-head benchmarks are won by the 13490F, with the smallest delta being 9.8% in the single-threaded test and the largest being 37.7% in the prime numbers test. This suggests that the desktop chip has a broad and considerable performance lead in both lightly and heavily threaded workloads.