Intel Core i5 12600K and Core i9 12900K With ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero Review

Pricing

If ever a set of products had been carefully priced to take into account what is available from their competitors then the 12th Generation of Intel CPUs is surely it. The Ryzen 9 5950X is the calculation powerhouse when nothing but most cores will do, but for the majority of users who want a high performance, well rounded system the Core i9-12900K is right on its heels but for a smaller - in CPU terms at least - investment. The Ryzen 9 5900X is the fly in Intel ointment as it's nearly as quick in heavy calculative tasks but much cheaper. On the flip side the Core i5-12600K picks up the 'outstanding VFM' mantle from the Core i5-11600K and not only dominates the Ryzen 5 5600X, but does so at the same price.

You have to bear in mind other costs though. Our DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum kit is retailing for £180, but the equivalent DDR5 kit is £295. That £115 extra on RAM takes the Core i9-12900K into the price range of the Ryzen 9 5950X. Worth bearing in mind.