The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victory in seven of the fourteen evaluated categories. Its most significant technical advantage is its L3 cache, which is 220% larger than that of the Intel Core i5-12600KF. This substantial capacity difference represents the primary performance differentiator between the two processors, establishing the former as the superior option based on the total count of winning specifications across the measured 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 i5-12600KF, 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 significantly larger L3 cache of the Ryzen or the superior L2 cache offered by the Intel processor.