The Intel Core i5-14500 is the objective winner of this comparison, securing more victories across the evaluated specifications. While the Intel Core i5-12600K maintains a notable lead in base clock speed, which is 42% higher than its counterpart, the Intel Core i5-14500 provides a more substantial technical advantage. The most impactful difference is the L2 cache capacity, where the Intel Core i5-14500 offers a 126% improvement over the Intel Core i5-12600K.

Users who prioritize raw base clock frequency for specific processing tasks should select the Intel Core i5-12600K for its superior speed in that category. Conversely, the Intel Core i5-14500 is the better choice for those who benefit from the significantly larger L2 cache, as it outperforms the Intel Core i5-12600K in the majority of the measured specifications. Your decision should depend on whether your workload favors higher base clock speeds or the expanded cache capacity.