GuidesComparisonsRyzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K: Our Recommendation

Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K: Our Recommendation

We compare the Ryzen 9 7900X and Core i9-12900K in Gaming Benchmarks to find out which one is better in 2024.

Expert Verified By

Intel i9-12900K
Rated:
8/10

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
Rated:
9/10


Pros And Cons

GPU Pros Cons
Ryzen 9 7900X āœ… Integrated graphics
āœ… PCIe 5.0 support
āœ… Power efficiency
āŒ High priced
āŒ High temperatures
āŒ CPU cooler excluded
Core i9-12900K āœ… DDR5 Support
āœ… Overclocking Features
āœ… Close performance
āŒ DDR4 Incompatible
āŒ Higher power 
āŒ High thermals

Key Takeaways
  • The gaming framerate battle for the Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K was dominated by the Ryzen 9 7900X, gaining a 3.68% more framerate at an average than the Intel i9-12900K, as obtained from our benchmarks.
  • The two processors had a difference of almost 3%, with the Intel i9-12900K being slightly less power efficient than the Ryzen 9 7900X. Moreover, the Ryzen 9 7900X also ran 8.5% hotter than the Core i9-12900K.
  • The current price of the Ryzen 9 7900X is around 5.2% more expensive than the Intel core i9-12900K lately, which gives the Intel i9-12900K an edge in terms of budget.
  • We would recommend the Ryzen 9 7900X because of its higher performance and better power efficiency. However, those looking for a better price, 12th Gen processors, and thermals should buy the Intel i9-12900K.
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Comparison Table

ProcessorAMD Ryzen 9 7900XIntel Core i9-12900K
CompanyAMDIntel
OverclockingYesYes
L3-Cache64MB (shared)30MB (shared)
Release DateSeptember 2022November 2021
Memory SupportDDR5DDR4 and DDR5
Best MotherboardBest Motherboards For Ryzen 9 7900XBest Motherboards for i9-12900K
Best Cooler Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 9 7900XBest CPU Coolers For Core i9-12900K

Architectural Differences

  1. Core Count: The Ryzen 9 7900X has 12 cores, while the Core i9 12900K has 8 performance cores and efficiency cores, which adds up to 24 threads, the same as the thread count on the Ryzen.
  2. Clock Speeds: The Ryzen 9 7900X has a base clock of 4.7GHz and a boost of up to 5.6GHz. Conversely, the base clock of the Core i9 is around 3.2GHz, with a boost of up to 5.2GHz.
  3. TDP: The base TDP of the Ryzen 9 7900X is around 170 watts, whereas the 12900K has a PL1 TDP of 125 watts, but it has a much higher PL2 TDP of 253 watts.
  4. L3 Cache: The L3 cache of the Ryzen is substantially large at 64MB, whereas the i9 has an L3 cache of only 30 MB.
  5. Process Node: The Ryzen 9 7900X is based on a 5nm manufacturing process for the logical part of its cores, whereas the 12900K uses a much older 10nm process node, which reflects its old age.

Running on the latest AM5 socket, the AMD Ryzen 7000 series has gathered all the buzz around it. On the one hand, we have AMD’s second-most top-tier Ryzen 9 7900X; on the other, we have Intel’s soon-to-be-old flagship Core i9-12900K. So, in this guide, we will do the ultimate Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K comparison and figure out which CPU comes out on top.


Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K – Gaming Benchmarks

Moving onto the core section of the comparison, we will now talk about the benchmark tests of the Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K comparison.

Testing Rig

Hitman 3

Hitman 3
Hitman 3 @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The first game we chose to test was Hitman 3, and the Ryzen had a substantial advantage in it. It had an average framerate of 236 FPS, around 9% higher than the 217 FPS average the Intel processor gave in our short test.
  • The 1% lows were also substantially different, with the Core i9 dipping down to around 151 FPS, while the Ryzen dipped to around 164 FPS in our testing.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Both processors came much closer to each other in our testing of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, with the 12900K hovering around 125 FPS, while the Ryzen was slightly faster at 127 FPS
  • The 1% lows were almost the same, with the i9 dipping to around 86 FPS on average, while the 7900X had lows of around 87 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The i9 managed a noticeable win when tested Cyberpunk 2077, with an average framerate of 164 FPS, while the Ryzen had an average closer to 157 FPS. This computes to Cyberpunk running around 4.5% better on the Intel processor.
  • The 1% lows were also better on the 12900K, hanging around 134 FPS, while the Ryzen hung closer to lows of 127 FPS.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Forza managed an average framerate of around 209 FPS in our testing with the i9, while the Ryzen had an average of 214 FPS, around 2.3% faster. It was a small win for the Core Ryzen, but nonetheless.
  • The 12900K had lows of around 149 FPS, while the Ryzen was a bit smoother with lows of 156 FPS. This difference was not noticeable because of our test’s relatively high overall framerate.

Death Stranding

Death Stranding Performance
Death Stranding @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The delta grew between the processors in our test of Death Stranding, with the i9 getting an average framerate of 208 FPS, while the Ryzen outdid it by around 7%, with an average of 222 FPS.
  • The 1% lows showed a difference of 20 FPS in the 1% lows, with the Ryzen going down to around 179 FPS, while the i9 had lows of around 159 FPS.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator @1080p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • To cap out our testing, Microsoft Flight Simulator ran better on the Ryzen with an average of 63 FPS, while the i9 gave an average framerate of around 59 FPS. This difference comes out to around 7%.
  • The 1% lows were also mildly better on the Ryzen, hitting around 33 FPS, while the 12900K hung around 31 FPS at its lowest performance moments.

Ryzen 9 7900X vs Core i9-12900K – Overall Gaming Performance

ProcessorAverage FPS1% Lows
Intel Core i9-12900KšŸ“ˆ 163šŸ“‰ 124
AMD Ryzen 9 7900XšŸ“ˆ 169šŸ“‰ 121
WinnerAMD Ryzen 9 7900XIntel Core i9-12900K

In our performance testing, the Core i9-12900K averaged a framerate slightly smoother than the i9. Overall, the average gaming framerates of the Ryzen 9 7900X were 3.68% better than those of the Intel i9-12900K. As for the 1% lows, the i9-12900K went ahead with a 3FPS difference, slightly better than the Ryzen 9 7900X.

Power Consumption

GamesAMD Ryzen 9 7900X (W)Intel Core i9-12900K (W)
Hitman III116106
AC Valhalla115118
Cyberpunk 2077119130
Forza Horizon V109113
Death Stranding112141
Microsoft Flight Simulator8985
Average Power Consumption102āš”ļø105āš”ļø
Winner: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X

On average, the power consumption difference between the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and the  Intel core i9-12900K was about 3%, which is not very large. So, the users can pick which processor they want without worrying about heavy electricity bills falling in any one processor’s court.

Thermal Efficiency

GamesIntel Core i9-12900K (Ā°C)AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (Ā°C)
Hitman III62 73
AC Valhalla58 65
Cyberpunk 207771 75
Forza Horizon V61 68
Death Stranding71 68
Microsoft Flight Simulator57 61
Average Thermal Capacity63 šŸŒ”ļø64 šŸŒ”ļø
Winner: Intel Core i9-12900K

The temperatures of these processors were virtually identical with a difference of only one degree, and should not play a part in your final purchasing decision. It is important to remember that the temperature of your CPU can vary on many factors, so keep in mind that the temperatures in your setup can be much higher or lower than what we tested in this comparison.

Pricing And Availability

CPU MSRP Current Price
Core i9 12900K šŸ’²589 šŸ’²363
Ryzen 9 7900X šŸ’²549 šŸ’²382
Price Difference 7.2% 5.2%

Even though there is not much of a price difference between the two chipsets alone, the R9 7900X costs about 5.2% more. That’s because the AM5 socket, being new, costs more than the 1700 socket. However, it is highly unlikely that the overall pricing of the two CPUs will affect your purchase decision.


Final Verdict – What We Recommend

Ryzen 9 7900X: The Ryzen 9 7900X was mildly better in average framerates than the Core i9-12900K. But that advantage comes with certain demerits such as a 5.2% price hike. The rest of the factors like power consumption and thermal efficiency are not very distinct so they don’t hold anything against the CPU.

Core i9 12900K: On the flip side, the Intel Core i9 12900K excels in the %1 lows and gives similar average framerates as well as a cheaper price and similar power and thermal draws. Moreover, it gets a little smoother than the AMD processor in many instances, which makes its case pretty powerful against its competitor.

We would say this comparison is a toss-up between the two. If you have an existing Intel 12th-generation platform, we recommend sticking with the 12900K. Conversely, if you want to build a PC that you could be upgrading for years, the Ryzen 9 7900X gives you a great entry point into the expectedly long life of the AM5 platform.


FAQs

Is the Ryzen 9 7900X future-proof?

Definitely, the R9 7900X packs a bunch of power and features that make it a suitable processor in the long term. For instance, it has support for both DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5.0, which means that you will have no issues pairing this chipset with the latest high-end RAMs and GPUs of the future.

Is the Core i9-12900K still a good processor?

Going through the benchmarks, it is as clear as day that the Core i9-12900K is still undoubtedly a powerful CPU. In most games we tested, the i9-12900K was behind its latest competition with just a small difference in FPS.

Is an 850W PSU enough to power the R9 7900X or i9-12900K?

As seen in the benchmarks, both rigs were powered by the Corsair RM850i 850W. So, you should be good to go with a similar PSU.


More From Core i9-12900K

More From Ryzen 9 7900X

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