Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-12900K CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Intel Core i9-12900K AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

CPU comparison

Intel Core i9-12900K or AMD Ryzen 9 5900X - 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 i9-12900K has 16 cores with 24 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 5.20 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i9-12900K was released in Q4/2021.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has 12 cores with 24 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.80 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X was released in Q4/2020.
Intel Core i9 (78) Family AMD Ryzen 9 (34)
Intel Core i 12000 (34) CPU group AMD Ryzen 5000 (12)
12 Generation 4
Alder Lake S Architecture Vermeer (Zen 3)
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-11900K Predecessor AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Intel Core i9-13900K Successor AMD Ryzen 9 7900X

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 Intel Core i9-12900K is 3.20 GHz (5.20 GHz) while the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has 12 CPU cores and 24 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is at 3.70 GHz (4.80 GHz).

Intel Core i9-12900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
16 Cores 12
24 Threads 24
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking ? Yes
3.20 GHz (5.20 GHz)
8x Golden Cove
A-Core 3.70 GHz (4.80 GHz)
2.40 GHz (3.90 GHz)
8x Gracemont
B-Core --

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

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. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

Intel Core i9-12900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
-- AI hardware --
-- AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-12900K or AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 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 no iGPU
0.30 GHz GPU frequency --
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
11 GPU Generation --
10 nm Technology
3 Max. displays
32 Compute units --
256 Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
64 GB Max. GPU Memory --
12 DirectX Version --

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 no iGPU
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h264 No
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 No
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 No
Decode Codec AV1 No
Decode / Encode Codec AVC No
Decode Codec VC-1 No
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

The Intel Core i9-12900K can use up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 76.8 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 51.2 GB/s.

Intel Core i9-12900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 Memory DDR4-3200
128 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
76.8 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
Yes ECC Yes
14.00 MB L2 Cache 6.00 MB
30.00 MB L3 Cache 64.00 MB
5.0 PCIe version 4.0
20 PCIe lanes 20
78.8 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth 39.4 GB/s

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Intel Core i9-12900K is 125 W, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has a TDP of 105 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

Intel Core i9-12900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
241 W TDP (PL2) 142 W
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 90 °C

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-12900K is manufactured in 10 nm and has 44.00 MB cache. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured in 7 nm and has a 70.00 MB cache.

Intel Core i9-12900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
10 nm Technology 7 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
LGA 1700 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q4/2021 Release date Q4/2020
589 $ Release price 549 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-12900K to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.3 stars (7 ratings). Rate now:
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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 7 CPU benchmarks
⌀ Multi core performance in 9 CPU benchmarks

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
126 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
98 (78%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
1582 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
1189 (75%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
1997 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
1636 (82%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
27472 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
21878 (80%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
1990 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
1727 (87%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
17595 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
14515 (82%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
2560 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
2199 (86%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
16244 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
12637 (78%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
779 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
637 (82%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
10511 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
8491 (81%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
364 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
308 (85%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
40902 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
39295 (96%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
817 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
647 (79%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.20 GHz
11365 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.70 GHz
9520 (84%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.20 GHz
294 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
270 (92%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 5.00 GHz
4111 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
3684 (90%)

CPU performance per watt (efficiency)

Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
27,472 CB R23 MC @ 240 W
114 (69%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
21,878 CB R23 MC @ 131 W
167 (100%)

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 i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
Intel UHD Graphics 770 @ 1.55 GHz
794 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i9-12900K AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Unknown Unknown

News and articles for the Intel Core i9-12900K and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

Why the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for the AM5 socket are currently not a good deal
Why the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for the AM5 socket are currently not a good deal
Posted by Stefan on 2022-10-11
At the end of September 2022, the time had come: AMD presented its latest desktop processors called AMD Ryzen 7000. Initially, 4 processors with 6 to 16 CPU cores were released.

The new socket AM5 (LGA 1718) is used for the first time, which is intended to replace the very durable socket AM4 introduced in 2017 as AMDs mainstream platform. This includes (depending on the chipset) PCIe 5.0 support as well as the exclusive use of DDR5 memory on all AM5 mainboards.

Officially, DDR5-5200 is the maximum, but with AMDs EXPO Technology which is similar to Intel's XMP 3.0, AMD now also has a solution for easy overclocking of the main memory. AMD itself names DDR5-6000 as the sweet spot for the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors.
First Geekbench 5 benchmark of the Intel Core i7-13700K
First Geekbench 5 benchmark of the Intel Core i7-13700K
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-26
Last week we already reported on the new Intel Core i7-13700K processor from Intel, which is expected in autumn 2022. With 8+8 CPU cores (24 threads), the Intel Core i7-13700K should have the same configuration as last year's Intel Core i9-12900K. With this, Intel wants to finally clear AMD's lead in multi-core performance, which has existed for several years.
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-05
In the past we had repeatedly written about our most popular processors. Since this format was quiet popular, I would like to continue this today and introduce you the most popular processors in the first half of 2022.

With more than 2 million page views per month, CPU-Monkey is one of the biggest comparison sites for processors and is currently available in 16 languages.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7800X are coming in September
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7800X are coming in September
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-20
After we published a performance assessment of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X last week, the well-known AMD leaker Greymon55 has now posted more informations via Twitter.

He predicts the first four models of the new Zen 4 desktop generation, which AMD would like to present at the end of 2022. There is also an alleged release date of September 15, 2022.
Intel Core i9-13900 benchmark of engineering sample
Intel Core i9-13900 benchmark of engineering sample
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-15
Intels 13th generation of the Intel Core i series (Raptor Lake) is about to be released and a lot of information is already known from the official side. This information includes e.g. the number of CPU cores, the expected increase in performance and the manufacturing technology of the new CPUs.

We compare the technical data of the Intel Core i9-13900 with its predecessor and look at benchmarks that have already been published.

Comparison of the two processors

Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9, that's the question many users ask themselves. This comparison between the Intel Core i9-12900K, which was released in the fourth quarter of 2021, and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, which was released a year earlier, namely in the fourth quarter of 2020, should provide some information.

After AMD had outstripped Intel in terms of both power consumption and processor performance, Intel is finally coming back within reach of the AMD Ryzen models with the twelfth generation of its i processors.

The Intel Core i9-12900K relies on a big.LITTLE architecture in which, in addition to 8 high-performance cores, the so-called "prime cores", 8 additional energy-saving cores (efficiency cores) are used. Only the prime cores support hyperthreading, which means that the processor has 16 cores with 24 threads. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has a normal architecture with 12 equally strong cores, all of which support Hyperthreading, which means that the processor has 12 cores and threads available for its computing tasks. Since both models are aimed more at enthusiasts, both models can also be overclocked.

The Intel UHD Graphics 770 is used as the internal graphics unit in the Intel Core i9-12900K. This iGPU has 32 execution units with 256 shaders and achieves an FP32 (single precision) computing power of 794 GigaFLOPS with its maximum clock of 1.55 gigahertz. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X does not have an internal graphics unit and must therefore be operated with a dedicated graphics solution.

Both processors support DDR4 modules up to the DDR4-3200 type in terms of RAM. In addition, the Intel Core i9-12900K also supports the newer DDR5 standard (up to DDR5-4800).

In the performance comparison, you can see that the Intel Core i9-12900K is about 10-20% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, depending on the benchmark.

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