Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i9-12900F

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i9-12900K – 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 i9-12900K features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2021 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-12900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
The Intel Core i9-12900F 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 i9-12900F, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group Intel Core i 12000
12 Generation 12
Intel Core i9-12900K Name Intel Core i9-12900F
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9 Family Intel Core i9
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-12900K has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 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 i9-12900F has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 2.4 GHz.
2.4 GHz B-Core Frequency 1.8 GHz
5.2 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo 5.1 GHz
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
8x Golden Cove Cores A 8x Golden Cove
16 CPU Cores 16
Yes Overclocking No
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
3.9 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo 3.8 GHz
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency 2.4 GHz
8x Gracemont Cores B 8x Gracemont
24 Threads 24
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-12900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900K 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 i9-12900F does not have integrated graphics.
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
10 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
32 Execution units --
Q4/2021 Release date --
Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU name
256 Shaders --
0.3 GHz GPU frequency --
11 Generation --
-- 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 VP9 --
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode AV1 --
 
 

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 No
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 125 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 65 W watts.
241 W TDP (PL2) 202 W
125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-12900K 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 i9-12900F is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
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+
BX8071512900K Part Number --
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Q4/2021 Release date Q1/2022
589 $ Release price 464 $
14.0 MB L2-Cache 14.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
30.0 MB L3-Cache 30.0 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 i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
40902
40902
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
36739
36739

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
27472
27472
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
26455
26455

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17595
17595
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15712
15712

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
16244
16244
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
15367
15367

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
10511
10511
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
10097
10097

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
4111
4111
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
3911
3911

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
2637
2637
Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
2560
2560

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1997
1997
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1988
1988

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1990
1990
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
1968
1968

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
779
779
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
764
764

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
294
294
Intel Core i9-12900F
16C 24T @ 2.4 GHz
287
287