Core i7-12700K vs EPYC 4545P

CPU

GPU

Core i7-12700K

12 Cores20 Thrd125 WWMax: 5 GHz2021

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 4545P

16 Cores32 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.4 GHz2025

Popular choices:

••i7-12700K•••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-12700K

12 / 20

34,347

0.0%

54,255

+58.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9970X

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 i7-12700K

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $140 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 4545P across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (34,347 vs 54,255).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 4545P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 28 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 84.0 vs 98.8 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

EPYC 4545P

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 28 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅Delivers 17.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 98.8 vs 84.0 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌
34.2% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$409 MSRP

Core i7-12700K

2021

EPYC 4545P

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $140 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 28 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅Delivers 17.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 98.8 vs 84.0 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 4545P across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (34,347 vs 54,255).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 4545P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 28 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 84.0 vs 98.8 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
34.2% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$409 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 4545P better than Core i7-12700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 4545P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-12700K 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 4545P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 4545P is the better fit. You are getting 58% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB).

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

EPYC 4545P is the smarter buy today. EPYC 4545P is 34.2% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $409 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 17.7% better value on MSRP (98.8 vs 84.0 PassMark/$), 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 4545P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), 156% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 25 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 12/20, 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 i7-12700K Benchmark Check

EPYC 4545P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
1080p
low	314 FPS	286 FPS
medium	295 FPS	262 FPS
high	246 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	181 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	262 FPS
medium	225 FPS	218 FPS
high	182 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	148 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	182 FPS
medium	142 FPS	151 FPS
high	109 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	102 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open EPYC 4545P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
1080p
low	630 FPS	674 FPS
medium	533 FPS	580 FPS
high	450 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	375 FPS
1440p
low	536 FPS	567 FPS
medium	475 FPS	506 FPS
high	403 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	312 FPS	320 FPS
medium	280 FPS	289 FPS
high	266 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open EPYC 4545P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
1080p
low	797 FPS	850 FPS
medium	633 FPS	679 FPS
high	556 FPS	601 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	679 FPS
medium	565 FPS	543 FPS
high	490 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	398 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	484 FPS
medium	425 FPS	401 FPS
high	381 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open EPYC 4545P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
1080p
low	859 FPS	1072 FPS
medium	802 FPS	966 FPS
high	699 FPS	843 FPS
ultra	628 FPS	760 FPS
1440p
low	760 FPS	842 FPS
medium	678 FPS	747 FPS
high	590 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	619 FPS
medium	488 FPS	553 FPS
high	437 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	384 FPS	421 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open EPYC 4545P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700K and EPYC 4545P

Core i7-12700K

The Core i7-12700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture. It features 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,347 points. Launch price was $409.

EPYC 4545P

The EPYC 4545P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 May 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Grado (2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 54,255 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700K packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the EPYC 4545P offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 4545P has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K versus 5.4 GHz on the EPYC 4545P — a 7.7% clock advantage for the EPYC 4545P (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-12700K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the EPYC 4545P uses Grado (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700K scores 34,347 against the EPYC 4545P's 54,255 — a 44.9% lead for the EPYC 4545P. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 4545P.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
Cores / Threads	12 / 20	16 / 32+33%
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.4 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+156%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Grado (2025)
PassMark	34,347	54,255+58%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the EPYC 4545P uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i7-12700K versus 5600 on the EPYC 4545P — the EPYC 4545P supports 15.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 4545P supports up to 192 of RAM compared to 128 — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-12700K) vs 28 (EPYC 4545P) — the EPYC 4545P offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i7-12700K) and AM5 (EPYC 4545P).

Feature	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800	5600+17%
Max RAM Capacity	128	192+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the EPYC 4545P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (EPYC 4545P). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12700K) and AMD Radeon Graphics (EPYC 4545P) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X; EPYC 4545P rivals Ryzen 9 7900X.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	EPYC 4545P
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	AMD Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the EPYC 4545P debuted at $549. On MSRP ($409 vs $549), the Core i7-12700K is $140 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-12700K delivers 84.0 pts/$ vs 98.8 pts/$ for the EPYC 4545P — making the EPYC 4545P the 16.2% better value option.