Intel Core i7-12700 vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Processor comparisons 10-01-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-12700 vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, video editing, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like Blender, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, Blender, Furmark, Gears 5, SuperPi, WPrime, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Prime95, AIDA64, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, MATLAB, 7zip.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Watch Dogs Legion
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Fallout 76
Grand Theft Auto V
Borderlands 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Rainbow Six Siege
Overwatch
Apex Legends
Fortnite
Halo Infinite
Cyberpunk 2077
Death Stranding
Red Dead Redemption 2
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Valheim
Valorant
Last Man Standing
DOOM: Eternal

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3950X or Intel Core i7-12700.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-12700

59%

Ryzen 9 3950X

61%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 3950X is 3% better than Core i7-12700. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-12700

56%

Ryzen 9 3950X

58%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.0	103.7
Valorant	113.7	117.9
Cyberpunk 2077	63.7	66.0
Apex Legends	106.9	110.8
Call of Duty Warzone	85.3	88.4
Overwatch	92.1	95.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.4	81.3
DOOM Eternal	56.8	58.9
Warzone	88.7	91.9
Assassin's Creed	95.5	99.0
Valheim	94.4	97.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-12700

85%

Ryzen 9 3950X

40%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-12700 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 3950X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-12700	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	431	217
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3140	3897
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1029	531
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7127	9148
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2408	1371
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	23496	24050

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-12700	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	5637	2718
Multi-Core	32896	39170

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-12700	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	1667	1286
Multi-Core	11810	15407

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-12700	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	AM4
Core name	Alder Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	12	3
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	20	32
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache		1MB
L2 cache	12 MB	8MB
L3 cache	25 MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000051 100-100000051WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-12700 is 2% better than Ryzen 9 3950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3950X has 4 more core than Core i7-12700. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-12700 is better: 14
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is better: 23
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-12700 and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-12700 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-12700 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3950X specs and review.