Intel Core i9-12900KS vs AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS

Processor comparisons 28-09-2022

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i9-12900KS vs AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like PCMark 10, PassMark, 7zip, Furmark, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, Blender, Prime95, RealBench, 3DMark, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, WPrime, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS or Intel Core i9-12900KS.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900KS

73%

Ryzen 9 6980HS

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KS is 20% better than Ryzen 9 6980HS. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900KS

61%

Ryzen 9 6980HS

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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 low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	97.3
Valorant	123.4	110.6
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	61.9
Apex Legends	116.0	103.9
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	82.9
Overwatch	100.0	89.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.1	76.3
DOOM Eternal	61.7	55.3
Warzone	96.3	86.2
Assassin's Creed	103.7	92.9
Valheim	102.4	91.8

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-12900KS

48%

Ryzen 9 6980HS

156%

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 Ryzen 9 6980HS is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900KS since it has less power consumption: 150W vs. 35W. 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores 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. 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 i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Cinbench 15 Single-core	669	261
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6984	2536
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1113	610
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	15520	5559
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3930	1578
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	44652	14146

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Single-Core	4211	3379
Multi-Core	76561	27970

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Single-Core	2187	1643
Multi-Core	20189	9105

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Announcement date	March 27, 2022	January 09, 2022
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FP7
Core name	Alder Lake	Rembrandt
Architecture	x86	Zen 3+
Generation	12	6
Turbo Frequency	5.5 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	4 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	16	8
Threads	24	16
Bus rate	16 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	6 nm
Transistors count	12400 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	150 W	35 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR5
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB	512KB
L2 cache	8 MB	4MB
L3 cache	30 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options	FP7:100-000000750 FP7r2:100-000000751

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12900KS is 17% better than Ryzen 9 6980HS in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KS has 8 more core than Ryzen 9 6980HS. 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 i9-12900KS is better: 35
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS is better: 3
Although it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-12900KS and AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-12900KS - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900KS specs and review.

AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS specs and review.