Core i9-12900 vs EPYC 4364P

CPU

GPU

Core i9-12900

16 Cores24 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2022

Popular choices:

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EPYC 4364P

8 Cores16 Thrd105 WWMax: 5.4 GHz2024

Popular choices:

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Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-12900

16 / 24

33,695

0.0%

34,215

+1.5%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i9-12900

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 4364P across 33 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (33,695 vs 34,215).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 4364P, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 28 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 64.9 vs 85.8 PassMark/$ ($519 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

EPYC 4364P

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.4% higher average FPS across 33 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 28 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $519 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 85.8 vs 64.9 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $519 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Core i9-12900

2022

EPYC 4364P

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.4% higher average FPS across 33 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 28 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅Costs $120 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $519 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 85.8 vs 64.9 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $519 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 4364P across 33 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (33,695 vs 34,215).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 4364P, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 28 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 64.9 vs 85.8 PassMark/$ ($519 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 4364P better than Core i9-12900?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 4364P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-12900 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 4364P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.4% more average FPS across 33 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 4364P is the better fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

EPYC 4364P is the smarter buy today. EPYC 4364P is $120 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $519 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.4% average FPS lead across 33 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 32.1% better value on MSRP (85.8 vs 64.9 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

EPYC 4364P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022), more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/24, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i9-12900 Benchmark Check

EPYC 4364P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
1080p
low	269 FPS	249 FPS
medium	259 FPS	232 FPS
high	214 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	218 FPS
medium	198 FPS	183 FPS
high	159 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	152 FPS
medium	136 FPS	127 FPS
high	106 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i9-12900 Open EPYC 4364P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
1080p
low	617 FPS	710 FPS
medium	526 FPS	565 FPS
high	441 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	413 FPS
1440p
low	533 FPS	597 FPS
medium	470 FPS	499 FPS
high	397 FPS	417 FPS
ultra	340 FPS	351 FPS
4K
low	311 FPS	348 FPS
medium	281 FPS	297 FPS
high	266 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	241 FPS

Open Core i9-12900 Open EPYC 4364P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
1080p
low	775 FPS	855 FPS
medium	619 FPS	855 FPS
high	545 FPS	855 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	855 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	855 FPS
medium	560 FPS	855 FPS
high	487 FPS	790 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	582 FPS
medium	418 FPS	500 FPS
high	378 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	380 FPS

Open Core i9-12900 Open EPYC 4364P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
1080p
low	842 FPS	855 FPS
medium	809 FPS	855 FPS
high	696 FPS	855 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	852 FPS
1440p
low	765 FPS	855 FPS
medium	681 FPS	855 FPS
high	586 FPS	766 FPS
ultra	517 FPS	647 FPS
4K
low	524 FPS	682 FPS
medium	475 FPS	600 FPS
high	423 FPS	531 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i9-12900 Open EPYC 4364P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900 and EPYC 4364P

Core i9-12900

The Core i9-12900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 33,695 points. Launch price was $489.

EPYC 4364P

The EPYC 4364P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 May 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,215 points. Launch price was $399.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-12900 packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the EPYC 4364P offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-12900 versus 5.4 GHz on the EPYC 4364P — a 5.7% clock advantage for the EPYC 4364P (base: 2.4 GHz vs 4.5 GHz). The Core i9-12900 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the EPYC 4364P uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900 scores 33,695 against the EPYC 4364P's 34,215 — a 1.5% lead for the EPYC 4364P. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900 vs 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 4364P.

Feature	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz	5.4 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+88%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+7%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	33,695	34,215+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,085
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,594

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the EPYC 4364P uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i9-12900 versus DDR5-5200 on the EPYC 4364P — the Core i9-12900 supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 4364P supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-12900) vs 28 (EPYC 4364P) — the EPYC 4364P offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i9-12900) and B650,X670,X870 (EPYC 4364P).

Feature	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+95900%	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128	192 GB+157286300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the EPYC 4364P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900) vs AMD-V, AMD-Vi (EPYC 4364P). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-12900) and Radeon Graphics (EPYC 4364P) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: EPYC 4364P targets Entry Server. Direct competitor: Core i9-12900 rivals Ryzen 9 5900; EPYC 4364P rivals Xeon E-2488.

Feature	Core i9-12900	EPYC 4364P
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, AMD-Vi
Target Use	—	Entry Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900 launched at $519 MSRP, while the EPYC 4364P debuted at $399. On MSRP ($519 vs $399), the EPYC 4364P is $120 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900 delivers 64.9 pts/$ vs 85.8 pts/$ for the EPYC 4364P — making the EPYC 4364P the 27.6% better value option.