Core i5-12500EvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X
The Core i5-12500E is a sensible, everyday workhorse for budget-minded office builds and light productivity, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a monster workstation CPU for professionals rendering massive scenes or running heavy simulations.
Core i5-12500E
Alder Lake-S · 10 nm · 2022
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Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025
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Overall Performance Score
A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.
Side-by-Side Specs
Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X dominates for extreme multi-threaded tasks, while the Core i5-12500E is better for everyday computing on a budget.
The Core i5-12500E is the smarter pick for budget buyers who need a capable, low-power chip for general use.
The Core i5-12500E is the right choice when building a compact, energy-efficient office PC that won't stress your power supply.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Core i5-12500E better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?
Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (86 vs 12 out of 100), so it leads the Core i5-12500E in most workloads.
How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Core i5-12500E?
Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 617% faster than the Core i5-12500E overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.
Which should you buy, the Core i5-12500E or the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?
If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. If the Core i5-12500E is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.