Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Processor comparisons   28-09-2022
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Furmark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Gears 5, SuperPi, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Prime95, PassMark, RealBench, Handbrake, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3800X 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%

Ryzen 7 3800X

57%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900K is 14% better than Ryzen 7 3800X. 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%

Ryzen 7 3800X

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches 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 summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Ghostrunner, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	113.8	98.9
Valorant	129.3	112.4
Cyberpunk 2077	72.4	62.9
Apex Legends	121.5	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	97.0	84.3
Overwatch	104.7	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	89.2	77.5
DOOM Eternal	64.6	56.2
Warzone	100.8	87.7
Assassin's Creed	108.6	94.4
Valheim	107.3	93.3

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 i9-12900K

97%

Ryzen 7 3800X

44%

To make a final decision 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 i9-12900K is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 7 3800X since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 105W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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 video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 i9-12900K	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	489	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5150	2165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	816	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	11450	4960
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2896	1325
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	32950	12874

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

	Intel Core i9-12900K	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	7546	2773
Multi-Core	56332	23436

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

	Intel Core i9-12900K	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	3641	1393
Multi-Core	25262	10679

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. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-12900K	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Announcement date	July 21, 2021	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	AM4
Core name	Alder Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	12	3
Turbo Frequency	5.2 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	16	8
Threads	24	16
Bus rate	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	12400 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	105 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
L1 cache	2 MB	512KB
L2 cache	14 MB	4MB
L3 cache	30 MB	32MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000025 100-100000025BOX 100-100000025MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Core i9-12900K has 8 more core than Ryzen 7 3800X. 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: 31
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is better: 5
Although it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900K and AMD Ryzen 7 3800X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

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 Ryzen 7 3800X specs and review.