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

Processor comparisons 28-09-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-12900KS vs AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, video editing, machine learning, programming. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as SuperPi, Handbrake, Blender, Prime95, Furmark, RealBench, MATLAB, Gears 5, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, 7zip, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX 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 6980HX

58%

This 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 6980HX. 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 6980HX

55%

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 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 less popular games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	97.1
Valorant	123.4	110.3
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	61.8
Apex Legends	116.0	103.7
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	82.8
Overwatch	100.0	89.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.1	76.1
DOOM Eternal	61.7	55.2
Warzone	96.3	86.1
Assassin's Creed	103.7	92.7
Valheim	102.4	91.6

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: 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-12900KS

48%

Ryzen 9 6980HX

119%

To make a final resolution 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 6980HX is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900KS since it has less power consumption: 150W vs. 45W. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, 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 find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that 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 i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX
Cinbench 15 Single-core	669	263
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6984	2492
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1113	605
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	15520	5453
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3930	972
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	44652	13866

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX
Single-Core	4211	3318
Multi-Core	76561	27686

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX
Single-Core	2187	1617
Multi-Core	20189	8927

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX
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	45 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	Yes
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 6980HX in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KS has 8 more core than Ryzen 9 6980HX. 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 6980HX is better: 4
However, it should be realized that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900KS and AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

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 6980HX - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX specs and review.