AMD Ryzen 5 150 vs Intel Core i7-12700K Comparison

The Intel Core i7-12700K and the AMD Ryzen 5 150 occupy very different corners of the processor market, yet both land at the 84th percentile in overall performance. The data shows a decisive sweep: the i7-12700K wins all 11 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with margins ranging from a modest 27.2% in single-threaded tests to a dominant 150.7% in floating-point math. The Ryzen 5 150’s average benchmark score of 34881 is only 1.2% behind the i7-12700K’s 35287, but that aggregate number masks the stark reality of where each chip excels. The i7-12700K is a desktop powerhouse with 12 cores and 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 150 is a 6-core, 12-thread mobile part with a 35W TDP, explaining the gulf in raw compute performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for the Intel Core i7-12700K comes in PassMark’s floating-point math test, where it scores 88035 against the Ryzen 5 150’s 35118—a 150.7% advantage. This is not a marginal gap; it signals that the i7-12700K can handle heavy numerical workloads, such as scientific simulations or financial modeling, with more than double the throughput. Similarly, the prime number test shows a 142.6% lead (114 vs 47), indicating superior integer and algorithmic processing capability.

Physics simulation is another area of total dominance, with the i7-12700K scoring 1790 versus 806—a 122.1% difference. This directly translates to better performance in physics-heavy games or engineering applications that rely on rigid-body dynamics. The PassMark multithread score reinforces the trend: 34404 for Intel against 17492 for AMD, a 96.7% gap that reflects the i7-12700K’s extra cores and threads.

The extended instructions benchmark shows a 96.8% lead (28885 vs 14675), meaning the i7-12700K is far more capable when running AVX or other vectorized workloads. Data compression and encryption also favor Intel heavily: 446595 vs 211289 (111.4% faster) and 23408 vs 13425 (74.4% faster), respectively. These are real-world wins for file archiving, database operations, and secure data handling.

Random string sorting, a test of memory subsystem and cache efficiency, goes to Intel by 104.7% (45805 vs 22382). Integer math is 83.8% better (114264 vs 62151), and the smallest margin is in single-thread performance, where the i7-12700K’s 4013 score bests the Ryzen’s 3155 by 27.2%. Even in this closest contest, the Intel chip’s 5.00 GHz boost clock clearly outpaces the AMD’s 4.55 GHz. The data leaves no ambiguity: in every measured category, the i7-12700K is substantially faster.

Where Each One Wins

Given the 11-0 sweep, there is no benchmark category where the AMD Ryzen 5 150 comes out ahead. However, the wins for the i7-12700K are not uniform in their implications. The single-thread advantage of 27.2% makes the Intel chip the better choice for lightly-threaded tasks like web browsing, office productivity, and legacy software that relies on one or two fast cores. The massive multi-thread margins—96.7% in multithread, 150.7% in floating-point—position the i7-12700K as the clear pick for video rendering, 3D modeling, and any workload that scales across many cores.

The Ryzen 5 150’s territory is not about winning performance benchmarks but about efficiency and form factor. It operates at a 35W TDP versus the i7-12700K’s 125W, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermals matter more than raw speed. Its integrated Radeon 660M graphics and mobile socket (AMD Socket FP7) target a completely different product category. The data shows the Ryzen 5 150 is not a competitor for the i7-12700K in desktop tasks; instead, it offers adequate single-thread performance (3155 in PassMark) for everyday mobile use, but the i7-12700K is the only one of the two that can sustain heavy compute loads without compromise.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap explains the performance chasm. The Intel Core i7-12700K uses Alder Lake-S on a 10nm Intel process, with a die size of 215 mm². It features 12 cores and 20 threads, combining performance and efficiency cores. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving builders flexibility, and includes UHD Graphics 770 integrated graphics. The chip is unlocked for overclocking, as indicated by its multiplierUnlocked status.

The AMD Ryzen 5 150, by contrast, uses Zen 3+ architecture on a 6nm TSMC process, with a slightly smaller die at 210 mm². It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports only DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a rated bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Its integrated Radeon 660M graphics and 35W TDP are designed for mobile efficiency. The Ryzen 5 150 is not multiplier-unlocked, and its part number (100-000000990) targets the FP7 socket, confirming its laptop orientation. Both chips use PCIe Gen 4 with 20 CPU lanes, but the i7-12700K has a 25% larger L3 cache and more than double the core count, which drives its benchmark advantages.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-12700K is the superior processor for any compute-intensive task. With an average benchmark score of 35287 and an 84th percentile ranking, it outperforms the Ryzen 5 150 in every single test, often by margins exceeding 100%. If your priority is maximum multi-threaded performance—for video editing, 3D rendering, software compilation, or gaming with high physics loads—the i7-12700K is the only rational choice. Its 12 cores and 20 threads, combined with a 5.00 GHz boost clock, deliver 96.7% higher multithread scores and 142.6% better prime number performance than the Ryzen 5 150. The Intel chip also offers the flexibility of DDR4 or DDR5 memory and an unlocked multiplier for overclocking.

The AMD Ryzen 5 150 has no performance wins to claim, but that is not its purpose. As a 35W mobile processor with a 2025 release date, it is designed for laptops where battery life and low heat output are critical. Its 6 cores and 12 threads are adequate for everyday productivity, and its single-thread score of 3155 is respectable for a mobile part. However, the data shows it is 27.2% slower in single-thread tests and 96.7% slower in multithread tests than the i7-12700K. If you are building a desktop workstation or gaming rig, choose the i7-12700K. If you need an efficient mobile chip for a laptop, the Ryzen 5 150 is a valid option, but it cannot match the Intel part’s raw capability.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K is significantly faster, scoring 34404 in PassMark multithread versus 17492 for the AMD Ryzen 5 150, a 96.7% advantage.

Q: How much better is the Intel chip in single-thread performance?

A: The i7-12700K scores 4013 in PassMark single-thread, which is 27.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 150’s 3155.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two?

A: The biggest difference is in floating-point math, where the i7-12700K scores 88035 versus 35118 for the Ryzen 5 150, a 150.7% lead.

Q: Are both processors in the same market segment?

A: No. The i7-12700K is a desktop chip with a 125W TDP, while the Ryzen 5 150 is a mobile processor with a 35W TDP and an FP7 socket.

Q: Do both CPUs support the same memory types?

A: No. The i7-12700K supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ryzen 5 150 supports only DDR5.

Q: Which chip has more cores and threads?

A: The i7-12700K has 12 cores and 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 150 has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-12700K | AMD Ryzen 5 150 |

|----------------|----------------------|-----------------|

| Cores | 12 | 6 |

| Threads | 20 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 3.30 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 4.55 GHz |

| TDP | 125W | 35W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | AMD Socket FP7 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Zen 3+ |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 6 nm |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 25 MB (shared) | 16 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not specified | 76.8 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 770 | Radeon 660M |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Release Date | 2021-11-03 | 2025-09-30 |

| Launch MSRP | $409 | Not available |