Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i9-9900K

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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 i9-9900K features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2018 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-9900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151-2 socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group Intel Core i 9000
12 Generation 9
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-12900K Name Intel Core i9-9900K
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 i9-9900K has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-9900K is 3.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.0 GHz.
24 Threads 16
2.4 GHz B-Core Frequency None
None None 8x
16 CPU Cores 8
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
8x Golden Cove Cores A None
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
3.2 GHz A-Core Frequency None
5.2 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo None
Yes Overclocking Yes
8x Gracemont Cores B None
3.9 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo None
None None 5.0 GHz
None None 3.6 GHz
None None 4.7 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 i9-9900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-9900K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
256 Shaders 192
Q4/2021 Release date Q4/2017
10 nm Technology 14 nm
12 Direct X 12
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 64.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
32 Execution units 24
0.3 GHz GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
11 Generation 9.5
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.2 GHz
Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU name Intel UHD Graphics 630
 
 

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 / Encode
Decode VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode JPEG Decode / Encode
Decode AV1 No
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode AVC Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
 
 

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 39.5 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 DDR4-2666
Yes ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 39.5 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 95 W watts.
241 W TDP (PL2) None
125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 95 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 i9-9900K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 16.0 MB cache.
Q4/2021 Release date Q4/2018
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
10 nm Technology 14 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
589 $ Release price 650 $
Alder Lake S Architecture Coffee Lake S Refresh
30.0 MB L3-Cache 16.0 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 1151-2
14.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
40902
40902
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
18702
18702

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
27472
27472
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
12812
12812

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17845
17845
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
9155
9155

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17595
17595
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
8779
8779

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
16244
16244
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
8182
8182

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
11365
11365
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
5502
5502

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
10511
10511
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
4995
4995

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
4111
4111
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
2245
2245

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
2560
2560
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
1650
1650

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1997
1997
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
1294
1294

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1990
1990
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
1342
1342

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
779
779
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
518
518

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
364
364
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
171
171

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
294
294
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
219
219