Intel Core i9-12900 vs Google Tensor

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-12900 CPU1 vs CPU2 Google Tensor
Intel Core i9-12900 Google Tensor

CPU comparison

Intel Core i9-12900 or Google Tensor - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Intel Core i9-12900 has 16 cores with 24 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 5.10 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-12900 was released in Q1/2022.

The Google Tensor has 8 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 2.80 GHz. The CPU supports up to 12 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Google Tensor was released in Q4/2021.
Intel Core i9 (78) Family Google Tensor (3)
Intel Core i 12000 (34) CPU group Google Tensor (1)
12 Generation 1
Alder Lake S Architecture G1
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
Intel Core i9-11900 Predecessor --
Intel Core i9-13900 Successor Google Tensor G2

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-12900 has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 24 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-12900 is 2.40 GHz (5.10 GHz) while the Google Tensor has 8 CPU cores and 8 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Google Tensor is at 2.80 GHz.

Intel Core i9-12900 Characteristic Google Tensor
16 Cores 8
24 Threads 8
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE)
Yes Hyperthreading No
No Overclocking ? No
2.40 GHz (5.10 GHz)
8x Golden Cove
A-Core 2.80 GHz
2x Cortex-X1
1.80 GHz (3.80 GHz)
8x Gracemont
B-Core 2.25 GHz
2x Cortex-A76
-- C-Core 1.80 GHz
4x Cortex-A55

NPU AI performance

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

Intel Core i9-12900 Characteristic Google Tensor
-- AI hardware Google Tensor AI
-- AI specifications Google Edge TPU @ 1.6 TOPS
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

The Intel Core i9-12900 or Google Tensor has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU ARM Mali-G78 MP20
0.30 GHz GPU frequency 0.76 GHz
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
11 GPU Generation Vallhall 2
10 nm Technology 5 nm
3 Max. displays 1
32 Compute units 20
256 Shader 320
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
64 GB Max. GPU Memory --
12 DirectX Version 12

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.

Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU ARM Mali-G78 MP20
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode Codec AV1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec AVC Decode / Encode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The Intel Core i9-12900 can use up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 76.8 GB/s. The Google Tensor supports up to 12 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 53.0 GB/s.

Intel Core i9-12900 Characteristic Google Tensor
DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 Memory LPDDR5-5500
128 GB Max. Memory 12 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
76.8 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 53.0 GB/s
Yes ECC No
14.00 MB L2 Cache 8.00 MB
30.00 MB L3 Cache --
5.0 PCIe version --
20 PCIe lanes --
78.8 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Intel Core i9-12900 is 65 W, while the Google Tensor has a TDP of 10 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

Intel Core i9-12900 Characteristic Google Tensor
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 10 W
202 W TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-12900 is manufactured in 10 nm and has 44.00 MB cache. The Google Tensor is manufactured in 5 nm and has a 8.00 MB cache.

Intel Core i9-12900 Characteristic Google Tensor
10 nm Technology 5 nm
Monolithic Chip design Unknown
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8-A (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions --
LGA 1700 Socket --
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization None
Yes AES-NI No
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems Android
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2021
489 $ Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-12900 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.3 stars (4 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Google Tensor to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.3 stars (14 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-12900 (100%)
Google Tensor (55%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-12900 (100%)
Google Tensor (22%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 5.10 GHz
1968 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
1043 (53%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 4.20 GHz
15712 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
2915 (19%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 5.10 GHz
2637 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
1494 (57%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 4.20 GHz
15367 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
3639 (24%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
Intel UHD Graphics 770 @ 1.55 GHz
794 (41%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
ARM Mali-G78 MP20 @ 0.76 GHz
1943 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 5.10 GHz
1988 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 4.20 GHz
26455 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 5.10 GHz
764 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 4.20 GHz
10097 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 9 benchmark is very well suited to measuring the performance of a smartphone. AnTuTu 9 is quite heavy on 3D graphics and can now also use the "Metal" graphics interface. In AnTuTu, memory and UX (user experience) are also tested by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu version 9 can compare any ARM CPU running on Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly comparable when benchmarked on different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 9 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The rating is made up of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the working memory, and the performance of the internal graphics.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
691770 (100%)

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 8 Benchmark measures the performance of a SoC. AnTuTu benchmarks the CPU, GPU, Memory as well as the UX (User Experience) by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu can benchmark any ARM CPU that runs under Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly compareable if the benchmark has been performed under different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 8 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The evaluation consists of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the RAM and the performance of the internal graphics.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
612494 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 4.20 GHz
36739 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 5.10 GHz
287 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 4.20 GHz
3911 (100%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
0 (0%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Intel Core i9-12900 Intel Core i9-12900
16C 24T @ 2.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Google Tensor Google Tensor
8C 8T @ 2.80 GHz
1.6 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i9-12900 Google Tensor
Unknown Google Pixel 6
Google Pixel 6 Pro

News and articles for the Intel Core i9-12900 and the Google Tensor


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