Intel Core i9-12900KS vs AMD Athlon II X4 651K

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-12900KS or Intel Core i9-12900KS – 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 i9-12900KS features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 24 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2022 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-12900KS, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
The AMD Athlon II X4 651K features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2011 and belongs to the 2 generation of the AMD Athlon II series.
To use the AMD Athlon II X4 651K, you'll need a motherboard with a FM1 socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group AMD Athlon II X4 (Llano)
12 Generation 2
Intel Core i9-12900KS Name AMD Athlon II X4 651K
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9 Family AMD Athlon II
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-12900KS has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.4 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 Athlon II X4 651K has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Athlon II X4 651K is 3.0 GHz
2.5 GHz B-Core Frequency None
5.5 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo None
None None 4x
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
8x Golden Cove Cores A None
16 CPU Cores 4
Yes Overclocking Yes
None None 3.0 GHz
Yes Hyperthreading No
4.0 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo None
3.4 GHz A-Core Frequency None
8x Gracemont Cores B None
24 Threads 4
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-12900KS has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900KS 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 Athlon II X4 651K 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.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 16.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 21.3 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 DDR3-1333
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 21.3 GB/s
Yes AES-NI No
Yes ECC No
pci PCIe pci
128.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 150 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 100 W watts.
241 W TDP (PL2) None
150 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 100 W
90 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-12900KS 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 Athlon II X4 651K is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V
10 nm Technology 32 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE3, SSE4a, MMX, 3DNow!
-- Part Number --
Monolithic Chip design --
Q2/2022 Release date Q4/2011
749 $ Release price --
14.0 MB L2-Cache 4.0 MB
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
30.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
LGA 1700 Socket FM1
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Alder Lake S Architecture Llano
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
19010
19010
AMD Athlon II X4 651K
4C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
1467
1467

Intel Core i9-12900KS and AMD Athlon II X4 651K in leaderboards