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

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-12700K vs Intel Core i9-12900 and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as WPrime, Handbrake, Blender, AIDA64, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, SuperPi, PassMark, Furmark, MATLAB, RealBench, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-12900 or Intel Core i7-12700K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-12700K

63%

Core i9-12900

65%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900 is 3% better than Core i7-12700K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-12700K

59%

Core i9-12900

59%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just 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: NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	105.4	104.3
Valorant	119.8	118.6
Cyberpunk 2077	67.1	66.4
Apex Legends	112.6	111.5
Call of Duty Warzone	89.8	88.9
Overwatch	97.0	96.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	82.7	81.8
DOOM Eternal	59.9	59.3
Warzone	93.4	92.5
Assassin's Creed	100.6	99.6
Valheim	99.4	98.4

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 i7-12700K

56%

Core i9-12900

96%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-12900 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-12700K since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	Intel Core i7-12700K	Intel Core i9-12900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	569	445
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	4145	4687
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1358	743
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	9408	10420
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3179	2635
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	31015	29985

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

	Intel Core i7-12700K	Intel Core i9-12900
Single-Core	7441	6867
Multi-Core	43423	51262

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

	Intel Core i7-12700K	Intel Core i9-12900
Single-Core	2117	1885
Multi-Core	17079	16028

Comparison of specifications

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

	Intel Core i7-12700K	Intel Core i9-12900
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	July 21, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1700
Core name	Alder Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	20	24
Bus rate	8 GT/s	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	10200 millions	12600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	65 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		6400
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache		2 MB
L2 cache	12 MB	12 MB
L3 cache	25 MB	30 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Core i9-12900 has 4 more core than Core i7-12700K. 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 i7-12700K is better: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-12900 is better: 11
Although it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Core i9-12900 before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-12700K - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-12700K specs and review.

Intel Core i9-12900 - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900 specs and review.