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
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-12900K Name Intel Core i9-12900F
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.
24 Threads 24
2.4 GHz B-Core Frequency 1.8 GHz
16 CPU Cores 16
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
8x Golden Cove Cores A 8x Golden Cove
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency 2.4 GHz
5.2 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo 5.1 GHz
Yes Overclocking No
8x Gracemont Cores B 8x Gracemont
3.9 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo 3.8 GHz
 
 

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.
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.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory type DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
Yes ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
 
 

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.
Q4/2021 Release date Q1/2022
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
10 nm Technology 10 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
589 $ Release price 464 $
Alder Lake S Architecture Alder Lake S
30.0 MB L3-Cache 30.0 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)
BX8071512900K Part Number --
LGA 1700 Socket LGA 1700
14.0 MB L2-Cache 14.0 MB
 
 

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