Intel Core i9-12900KS vs AMD EPYC 7702

Processor comparisons 28-08-2022

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-12900KS vs AMD EPYC 7702 tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, Gears 5, SuperPi, MATLAB, PassMark, 7zip, Furmark, VeraCrypt, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, Blender, AIDA64, 3DMark, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD EPYC 7702 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%

EPYC 7702

71%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KS is 2% better than EPYC 7702. 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%

EPYC 7702

81%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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 little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Control, DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	143.1
Valorant	123.4	162.6
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	91.0
Apex Legends	116.0	152.8
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	121.9
Overwatch	100.0	131.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.1	112.2
DOOM Eternal	61.7	81.3
Warzone	96.3	126.8
Assassin's Creed	103.7	136.6
Valheim	102.4	134.9

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K 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 i9-12900KS

48%

EPYC 7702

17%

To make a final resolution 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 i9-12900KS is more energy efficient than the EPYC 7702 as it consumes less power: 150W vs. 200W. 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 programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i9-12900KS	AMD EPYC 7702
Cinbench 15 Single-core	669	216
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6984	8896
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1113	406
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	15520	18857
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3930	996
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	44652	49035

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD EPYC 7702
Single-Core	4211	2099
Multi-Core	76561	71929

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD EPYC 7702
Single-Core	2187	1023
Multi-Core	20189	53995

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	AMD EPYC 7702
Announcement date	March 27, 2022	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Server
Socket	FCLGA1700	SP3
Core name	Alder Lake	Rome
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	12	2
Turbo Frequency	5.5 MHz	3.4 MHz
Frequency	4 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	86000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	150 W	200 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	8 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	256MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options	100-000000038 100-100000038WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-12900KS is 50% better than EPYC 7702 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that EPYC 7702 has 48 more core than Core i9-12900KS. 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: 19
The number of parameters for which AMD EPYC 7702 is better: 19
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900KS and AMD EPYC 7702 before making a choice 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 EPYC 7702 specs and review.