The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victory in twelve of the sixteen evaluated categories. Its most significant technical advantage over the Intel Core i5-12600KF is its L2 cache, which is 174% larger. While the Intel Core i5-12600KF maintains a lead in thread count, outperforming the newer model by 14%, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 dominates the majority of the measured specifications.

Users prioritizing raw cache capacity for modern workloads should select the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, as it offers a substantial lead in that specific metric. Conversely, those who require the higher thread count provided by the Intel Core i5-12600KF should opt for that processor instead. Choosing between these two components depends entirely on whether your specific computing needs favor the superior thread density of the older model or the expanded cache architecture of the newer one.