Intel Core i9-12900 vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-12900 or Intel Core i9-12900 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i9-12900 features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-12900, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2020 and belongs to the 4 generation of the AMD Ryzen 9 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group AMD Ryzen 5000
12 Generation 4
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-12900 Name AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Intel Core i9 Family AMD Ryzen 9
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-12900 has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.4 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is 3.7 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.8 GHz.
24 Threads 24
1.8 GHz B-Core Frequency None
None None 12x
16 CPU Cores 12
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
8x Golden Cove Cores A None
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
2.4 GHz A-Core Frequency None
5.1 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo None
No Overclocking Yes
8x Gracemont Cores B None
3.8 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo None
None None 4.8 GHz
None None 3.7 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-12900 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900 uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X does not have integrated graphics.
256 Shaders --
Q4/2021 Release date --
10 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
32 Execution units --
0.3 GHz GPU frequency --
11 Generation --
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU name
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
Decode AV1 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory type DDR4-3200
Yes ECC Yes
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 105 W watts.
202 W TDP (PL2) 142 W
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
100 °C Tjunction max 90 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-12900 is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 30.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2020
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2
10 nm Technology 7 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
489 $ Release price 549 $
Alder Lake S Architecture Vermeer (Zen 3)
30.0 MB L3-Cache 64.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 1700 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
14.0 MB L2-Cache 6.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
39295
39295
Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
36739
36739

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
26455
26455
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
21878
21878

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15712
15712
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
14515
14515

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15367
15367
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
12637
12637

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
10097
10097
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
8491
8491

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
3911
3911
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
3684
3684

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
2637
2637
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
2199
2199

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1988
1988
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
1636
1636

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1968
1968
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
1727
1727

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
764
764
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
637
637

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
287
287
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.7 GHz
270
270