Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD EPYC 72F3

Processor comparisons   22-07-2021
   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD EPYC 72F3 and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Handbrake, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PassMark, RealBench, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Blender, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, SuperPi, Gears 5, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD EPYC 72F3 or Intel Core i9-12900K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900K

67%

EPYC 72F3

60%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900K is 10% better than EPYC 72F3. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900K

64%

EPYC 72F3

59%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, Control, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.8	104.8
Valorant	129.3	119.1
Cyberpunk 2077	72.4	66.7
Apex Legends	121.5	112.0
Call of Duty Warzone	97.0	89.3
Overwatch	104.7	96.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	89.2	82.2
DOOM Eternal	64.6	59.6
Warzone	100.8	92.9
Assassin's Creed	108.6	100.0
Valheim	107.3	98.9

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 comparisons 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. Therefore, 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-12900K

97%

EPYC 72F3

25%

To make a finishing decision 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 i9-12900K is more energy efficient than the EPYC 72F3 since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 180W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i9-12900K	AMD EPYC 72F3
Cinbench 15 Single-core	489	92
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5150	4125
Cinbench 20 Single-core	816	178
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	11450	8755
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2896	454
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	32950	22780

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

	Intel Core i9-12900K	AMD EPYC 72F3
Single-Core	7546	2006
Multi-Core	56332	33318

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

	Intel Core i9-12900K	AMD EPYC 72F3
Single-Core	3641	1389
Multi-Core	25262	16484

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-12900K	AMD EPYC 72F3
Announcement date	July 21, 2021	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Server
Socket	FCLGA1700	SP3
Core name	Alder Lake	Milan
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	12	3
Turbo Frequency	5.2 MHz	3.4 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	2 MHz
Cores	16	64
Threads	24	128
Bus rate	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	12400 millions	46000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	180 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	204.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	14 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	256MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000327 100-100000327WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12900K is 48% better than EPYC 72F3 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that EPYC 72F3 has 48 more core than Core i9-12900K. 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 i9-12900K is better: 33
The number of parameters for which AMD EPYC 72F3 is better: 3
All the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-12900K and AMD EPYC 72F3 before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-12900K - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900K specs and review.

AMD EPYC 72F3 - all data

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

• AMD EPYC 72F3 specs and review.