Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i9-11980HK

Processor comparisons   28-09-2022
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i9-11980HK tests and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like RealBench, 7zip, 3DMark, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Prime95, Blender, VeraCrypt, Blender, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, PassMark, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, AIDA64, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11980HK 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%

Core i9-11980HK

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 Core i9-11980HK. 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%

Core i9-11980HK

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small 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: Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	98.4
Valorant	123.4	111.8
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	62.6
Apex Legends	116.0	105.1
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	83.9
Overwatch	100.0	90.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.1	77.2
DOOM Eternal	61.7	55.9
Warzone	96.3	87.2
Assassin's Creed	103.7	93.9
Valheim	102.4	92.8

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 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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-12900KS

48%

Core i9-11980HK

82%

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 i9-11980HK is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900KS since it has less power consumption: 150W vs. 65W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on 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 make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Cinbench 15 Single-core	669	298
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6984	2704
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1113	668
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	15520	6009
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3930	1735
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	44652	17294

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Single-Core	4211	3989
Multi-Core	76561	29565

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Single-Core	2187	1599
Multi-Core	20189	10219

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 later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i9-11980HK
Announcement date	March 27, 2022	February 21, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCBGA1787
Core name	Alder Lake	Tiger Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	11
Turbo Frequency	5.5 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	4 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	16	8
Threads	24	16
Bus rate	16 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	12400 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	150 W	65 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	51.2 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	8 MB	4 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	24 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options

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 Core i9-11980HK in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KS has 8 more core than Core i9-11980HK. 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 Intel Core i9-11980HK is better: 2
However, it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900KS and Intel Core i9-11980HK before deciding 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.

Intel Core i9-11980HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-11980HK specs and review.