Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i9-12900KF

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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 Intel Core i9-12900KF 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 i9-12900KF, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group Intel Core i 12000
12 Generation 12
Intel Core i9-12900KS Name Intel Core i9-12900KF
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9 Family Intel Core i9
 
 

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 Intel Core i9-12900KF has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.2 GHz.
2.5 GHz B-Core Frequency 2.4 GHz
5.5 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo 5.2 GHz
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
8x Golden Cove Cores A 8x Golden Cove
16 CPU Cores 16
Yes Overclocking Yes
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
4.0 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo 3.9 GHz
3.4 GHz A-Core Frequency 3.2 GHz
8x Gracemont Cores B 8x Gracemont
24 Threads 24
 
 

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 Intel Core i9-12900KF 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 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 125 W watts.
241 W TDP (PL2) 241 W
150 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
90 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
 
 

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 Intel Core i9-12900KF 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+
-- Part Number BX8071512900KF
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Q2/2022 Release date Q4/2021
749 $ Release price 564 $
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 i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
44541
44541
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
41207
41207

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
27796
27796
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
27472
27472

V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
19176
19176
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17845
17845

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
19010
19010
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
17595
17595

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
16455
16455
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
15986
15986

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
10744
10744
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
10511
10511

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
4140
4140
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
4111
4111

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
2831
2831
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
2664
2664

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
2082
2082
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1997
1997

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
2080
2080
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
1990
1990

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
795
795
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
779
779

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
399
399
Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
364
364

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-12900KF
16C 24T @ 3.2 GHz
294
294
Intel Core i9-12900KS
16C 24T @ 3.4 GHz
294
294