Intel Core i9-12900K vs Intel Core i7-12700K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-12900K CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i7-12700K
Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i7-12700K

CPU comparison

Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i7-12700K - 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 Intel Core i7-12700K has 12 cores with 20 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 5.00 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i7-12700K was released in Q4/2021.
Intel Core i9 Family Intel Core i7
Intel Core i 12000 CPU group Intel Core i 12000
12 Generation 12
Alder Lake S Architecture Alder Lake S
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-11900K Predecessor Intel Core i7-11700K
Intel Core i9-13900K Successor Intel Core i7-13700K

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i7-12700K has %%kerne%% CPU cores and can calculate %%threads%% threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i7-12700K is %%core_freq_1%%. The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.

16 Cores 12
24 Threads 20
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking ? Yes
3.20 GHz (5.20 GHz)
8x Golden Cove
A-Core 3.60 GHz (5.00 GHz)
8x Golden Cove
2.40 GHz (3.90 GHz)
8x Gracemont
B-Core 2.70 GHz (3.80 GHz)
4x Gracemont
-- C-Core --

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i7-12700K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. Specifically, the Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i7-12700K uses the %%gpu_name%%, which has %%gpu_shader%% texture shaders and %%gpu_eus%% execution units. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU Intel UHD Graphics 770
0.30 GHz GPU frequency 0.30 GHz
1.55 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.50 GHz
11 GPU Generation 11
10 nm Technology 10 nm
3 Max. displays 3
32 Execution units 32
256 Shader 256
64 GB Max. GPU Memory 64 GB
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.

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
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The processor can use up to %%memory_max%% memory in %%memory_channels%% memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is %%memory_bandwidth%%. The memory type as well as the amount of memory can greatly affect the speed of the system.

DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
128 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
Yes ECC Yes
14.00 MB L2 Cache 12.00 MB
30.00 MB L3 Cache 25.00 MB
5.0 PCIe version 5.0
20 PCIe lanes 20

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the processor is %%tdp%%. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently. The TDP usually gives a rough idea of the actual power consumption of the CPU.

125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 125 W
241 W TDP (PL2) 190 W
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-12900K or Intel Core i7-12700K is made in %%fertigung%%. The smaller the manufacturing process of a CPU, the more modern and energy-efficient it is. Overall, the processor has %%cache%% cache. A large cache can greatly speed up the processor's speed in some cases such as games.

10 nm Technology 10 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
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+
LGA 1700 Socket LGA 1700
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q4/2021 Release date Q4/2021
589 $ Release price 409 $
show more data show more data



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 5.00 GHz
1939 (97%)
Show all Cinebench R23 (Single-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
22812 (83%)
Show all Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 5.00 GHz
757 (97%)
Show all Cinebench R20 (Single-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
8750 (83%)
Show all Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 5.00 GHz
2528 (99%)
Show all Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
14129 (87%)
Show all Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 5.00 GHz
1872 (94%)
Show all Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
14992 (85%)
Show all Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
Intel UHD Graphics 770 @ 1.50 GHz
768 (97%)
Show all iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
319 (88%)
Show all Blender 3.1 Benchmark results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
33955 (83%)
Show all Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
790 (97%)
Show all CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.60 GHz
7761 (68%)
Show all CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core) results



V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

V-Ray is a 3D rendering software from the manufacturer Chaos for designers and artists. Unlike many other render engines, V-Ray is capable of so-called hybrid rendering, in which the CPU and GPU work together at the same time.

However, the CPU benchmark we used (CPU Render Mode) only uses the system's processor. The working memory used plays a major role in the V-Ray benchmark. For our benchmarks we use the fastest RAM standard approved by the manufacturer (without overclocking).

Due to the high compatibility of V-Ray (including Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, SketchUp, Unreal Engine and Blender), it is a frequently used software. With V-Ray, for example, photorealistic images can be rendered that laypeople cannot distinguish from normal photos.

Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i9-12900K
16C 24T @ 3.20 GHz
17845 (100%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.60 GHz
15450 (87%)
Show all V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 5.00 GHz
286 (97%)
Show all Cinebench R15 (Single-Core) results



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%)
Intel Core i7-12700K Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 4.70 GHz
3327 (81%)
Show all Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core) results



Devices using this processor

Intel Core i9-12900K Intel Core i7-12700K
Unknown Unknown

News and articles for the Intel Core i9-12900K and the Intel Core i7-12700K


VS Description of the processor

In this comparison, 2 of the best processors from Intel's 12th generation of i-Core processors compete against each other. Here you can find out whether the already very high-performance Intel Core i7-12700K is right for you or whether you would rather like to call the high-end Intel Core i9-12900K your own.

Both processors are manufactured using the improved 10-nanometer process and rely on a big.LITTLE architecture. With the Intel Core i7-12700K, this means that 8 performance cores (Golden Cove) with 4 efficiency cores (Gracemont) are used here. The Intel Core i9-12900K also has 8 performance cores (Golden Cove), but with 8 pieces, twice the number of efficiency cores (Gracemont) are available. Since only the performance cores support hyperthreading, the Intel Core i7-12700K has a total of 20 and the Intel Core i9-12900K 24 threads.

Since one of the identical performance cores is used with single core utilization and the clock frequency of both is very similar, there are no major differences in performance here. However, due to the larger number of efficiency cores in the i9 processor, there is a clear difference in the utilization of all cores; the Intel Core i9-12900K is approx. 15-20 percent faster than the Intel Core i7-12700K.

Intel's internal UHD Graphics 770 graphics unit is used in both processors. This is equipped with 32 execution units and 32 shaders. Because the iGPU in the Intel Core i9-12900K clocks 1.55 gigahertz, 0.05 gigahertz higher than in the Intel Core i7-12700K, the FP32 computing power is also higher with single precision at 794 GigaFLOPS, 26 GigaFLOPS.

Both the Intel Core i7-12700K and the Intel Core i9-12900K support up to 128 gigabytes of DDR4-3200 or DDR5-4800 RAM with their 2 available memory channels.

Leaderboards

In our leaderboards, we have clearly compiled the best processors for specific categories for you. The leaderboards are always up to date and are regularly updated by us. The best processors are selected according to popularity and speed in benchmarks as well as the price-performance ratio.


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