Intel Core i5-12600T vs Intel Core i9-11900H Comparison

The Intel Core i9-11900H and Intel Core i5-12600T represent two distinct generations of Intel silicon, one aimed at high-performance mobile systems and the other at low-power desktop builds. The database records an average benchmark score of 21367 for the i9-11900H against 20917 for the i5-12600T, placing them at the 75th and 74th percentiles of all CPUs respectively. In direct head-to-head testing, the i9-11900H wins 14 of 17 comparisons, but the i5-12600T claims a few notable victories that reveal a more nuanced picture.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i9-11900H dominates the multi-threaded and integer-heavy workloads. Its largest margin comes in PassMark random string sorting, where it scores 28328 against the i5's 20299, a 39.6% advantage. Integer math follows closely: 72882 versus 54646, a 33.4% lead. Extended instructions show a 22.7% gap (16123 vs 13140), and data compression is 22.2% higher (239366 vs 195924). Data encryption also favors the i9 by 19.9% (12232 vs 10205). The i9's multithread score of 20162 beats the i5's 17446 by 15.6%, and its find prime numbers result of 87 versus 76 represents a 14.5% edge.

Cinebench results are consistent across all versions. The i9 leads by 13.1% in R15 multi-core (1690 vs 1494), 13.3% in R15 single-core (238 vs 210), 13.2% in R20 multi-core (7044 vs 6225), 13.2% in R20 single-core (994 vs 878), 13.2% in R23 multi-core (16772 vs 14822), and 13.1% in R23 single-core (2367 vs 2092). Even floating point math, the closest contest, goes to the i9 by a slim 1.9% (43094 vs 42295).

The i5-12600T, however, wins two distinct tests. PassMark physics shows a 21.4% advantage for the i5, scoring 1212 against the i9's 953. PassMark single-thread also goes to the i5, 3516 versus 3102, an 11.8% lead. The duplicate singlethread test mirrors that result. These wins are not trivial: they indicate that the i5's newer architecture delivers better performance in physics simulation and in a specific single-threaded PassMark workload, even though the i9 wins every Cinebench single-core test.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The i9-11900H has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the i5-12600T has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The i9-11900H boosts to 4.90 GHz, the i5-12600T to 4.60 GHz.

Q: Which CPU has larger L3 cache?

A: The i9-11900H has 24 MB of shared L3 cache, the i5-12600T has 18 MB.

Q: Which CPU supports DDR5 memory?

A: The i5-12600T supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i9-11900H supports only DDR4.

Q: Which CPU has a higher PassMark single-thread score?

A: The i5-12600T scores 3516, the i9-11900H scores 3102, a difference of 11.8% in favor of the i5. However, in Cinebench single-core tests, the i9 leads by about 13%.

Q: Which CPU is still in production?

A: The i5-12600T is marked as Active, while the i9-11900H is End-of-life.

Architecture Differences

The i9-11900H is built on Tiger Lake-H, while the i5-12600T uses Alder Lake-S. Both are fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process, but the microarchitectures differ substantially. The i9 has 8 cores and 16 threads, the i5 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i9's die size is 190 mm², the i5's is 163 mm². L3 cache is 24 MB on the i9 versus 18 MB on the i5. The integrated graphics differ as well: the i9 carries UHD Graphics 750, the i5 has UHD Graphics 770. The i9 supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, the i5 supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Memory support is another split: the i9 only accepts DDR4, while the i5 accepts both DDR4 and DDR5. The i9 has a recorded memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while the i5 has no recorded value. The i9 is a mobile part using Intel BGA 1787, the i5 is a desktop part using Intel Socket 1700. The i9 was released in May 2021, the i5 has no release date recorded. The i9 is end-of-life, the i5 is active.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs share a base clock of 2.10 GHz, a TDP of 35 W, L1 cache of 80 KB per core, L2 cache of 1.25 MB per core, a dual-channel memory bus, and no ECC support. The differences are as follows:

• Cores: 8 (i9) vs 6 (i5)
• Threads: 16 (i9) vs 12 (i5)
• Boost clock: 4.90 GHz (i9) vs 4.60 GHz (i5)
• Socket: Intel BGA 1787 (i9) vs Intel Socket 1700 (i5)
• Architecture: Tiger Lake (i9) vs Alder Lake (i5)
• Codename: Tiger Lake-H (i9) vs Alder Lake-S (i5)
• Generation: Core i9 (Tiger Lake-H) vs Core i5 (Alder Lake-S)
• Die size: 190 mm² (i9) vs 163 mm² (i5)
• L3 cache: 24 MB (i9) vs 18 MB (i5)
• Memory support: DDR4 (i9) vs DDR4, DDR5 (i5)
• Memory bandwidth: 51.2 GB/s (i9) vs not recorded (i5)
• PCIe: Gen 4, 20 Lanes (i9) vs Gen 5, 20 Lanes (i5)
• Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 750 (i9) vs UHD Graphics 770 (i5)
• Market segment: Mobile (i9) vs Desktop (i5)
• Production status: End-of-life (i9) vs Active (i5)
• Release date: 2021-05-10 (i9) vs not recorded (i5)
• Launch MSRP: $546 (i9) vs $223 (i5)
• Part number: SRKT7 (i9) vs SRL5U (i5)

The Verdict

The recorded data points to the i9-11900H as the stronger overall performer. It holds a higher average benchmark score (21367 vs 20917) and a higher percentile (75 vs 74). It wins 14 of 17 head-to-head tests, including every Cinebench version and most PassMark workloads. The i5-12600T, however, wins in physics and PassMark single-thread, and it offers a newer platform with DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5 support. The i5 is also still in production, while the i9 is end-of-life. For users who prioritize multi-threaded compute, integer math, or data compression, the i9 is the clear choice. For those who need physics performance, a specific single-threaded PassMark workload, or the latest memory and I/O standards, the i5 is more appropriate.

Where Each One Wins

The i9-11900H wins in: Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 (both single and multi-core), PassMark data compression, data encryption, extended instructions, find prime numbers, floating point math, integer math, multithread, and random string sorting. The i5-12600T wins in: PassMark physics and PassMark single-thread (including the duplicate singlethread test). The i5 also has the advantage of being an active product with DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5 support, which may matter for future-proofing. The i9's wins are often by large margins, especially in random string sorting (39.6%) and integer math (33.4%), while the i5's wins are more modest but still significant, particularly the 21.4% lead in physics.