The Intel Core i5-12600K is the objective winner of this comparison, securing a higher number of superior specifications across the evaluated fields. The most impactful advantage for this processor is its L2 cache, which outperforms the alternative by 138%. While the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X remains a competitive option, it falls behind in the total count of winning categories despite offering a 60% advantage in L3 cache capacity.

Users prioritizing the significantly larger L2 cache should select the Intel Core i5-12600K for their build. Conversely, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is the appropriate choice for those who specifically require the 60% advantage in L3 cache provided by that model. Your final decision should depend on whether your specific workload benefits more from the superior L2 cache architecture of the Intel processor or the larger L3 cache capacity found in the AMD unit.