The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is the objective winner of this comparison, securing a lead in seven out of fourteen measured specifications. Its most significant advantage over the Intel Core i5-12600K is its L3 cache, which is 220% larger. This substantial capacity difference represents the primary technical edge held by the Ryzen processor, establishing it as the superior option based on the total count of winning categories across the evaluated fields.

Users prioritizing the massive L3 cache advantage should select the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X for their build. Conversely, those who place a higher value on L2 cache capacity should opt for the Intel Core i5-12600K, as it holds a 58% advantage in that specific area. Choosing between these two components depends entirely on whether your specific workload benefits more from the superior L3 cache of the Ryzen or the larger L2 cache of the Intel.