Intel Core i9-12900 vs Intel Core i7-12700K

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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 Intel Core i7-12700K features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 20 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2021 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-12700K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group Intel Core i 12000
12 Generation 12
Intel Core i9-12900 Name Intel Core i7-12700K
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9 Family Intel Core i7
 
 

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 Intel Core i7-12700K has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.6 GHz.
1.8 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.7 GHz
5.1 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo 5.0 GHz
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
8x Golden Cove Cores A 8x Golden Cove
16 CPU Cores 12
No Overclocking Yes
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
3.8 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo 3.8 GHz
2.4 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.6 GHz
8x Gracemont Cores B 4x Gracemont
24 Threads 20
 
 

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 Intel Core i7-12700K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-12700K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.5 GHz
10 nm Technology 10 nm
12 Direct X 12
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
32 Execution units 32
Q4/2021 Release date Q4/2021
Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 770
256 Shaders 256
0.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.3 GHz
11 Generation 11
-- Max. displays --
 
 

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 h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode AVC Decode / Encode
Decode AV1 Decode
 
 

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.
DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
Yes ECC Yes
pci PCIe pci
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
 
 

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 125 W watts.
202 W TDP (PL2) 190 W
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °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 Intel Core i7-12700K is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 25.0 MB cache.
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
10 nm Technology 10 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
-- Part Number BX8071512700K
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2021
489 $ Release price 409 $
14.0 MB L2-Cache 12.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
30.0 MB L3-Cache 25.0 MB
LGA 1700 Socket LGA 1700
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Alder Lake S Architecture Alder Lake S
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
36739
36739
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
34688
34688

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
26455
26455
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
22812
22812

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15712
15712
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
14992
14992

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15367
15367
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
14129
14129

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
10097
10097
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
8750
8750

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
3911
3911
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
3327
3327

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
2637
2637
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
2528
2528

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1988
1988
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
1939
1939

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1968
1968
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
1872
1872

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
764
764
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
757
757

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
287
287
Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
286
286