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

✅Better for gaming: +14.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.9% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $580 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 283.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 84.0 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅120% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,655 vs 34,347).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 84.0 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.

Core i7-12700K

2021

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.9% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $580 less on MSRP ($409 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 283.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 84.0 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 165W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅120% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,655 vs 34,347).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 84.0 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌32% higher power demand at 165W vs 125W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12700K better than Core i9-9900X?

Yes. Core i7-12700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 58.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-12700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700K is the better fit. You are getting 58.6% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 29.9% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 19 MB).

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

Core i7-12700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-12700K is $580 cheaper on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $989 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 283.5% better value on MSRP (84.0 vs 21.9 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i7-12700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, 29.9% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 19 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 20 threads instead of 10/20. 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

Core i9-9900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	314 FPS	178 FPS
medium	295 FPS	143 FPS
high	246 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	148 FPS
medium	225 FPS	117 FPS
high	182 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	81 FPS
medium	142 FPS	69 FPS
high	109 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	630 FPS	516 FPS
medium	533 FPS	431 FPS
high	450 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	536 FPS	447 FPS
medium	475 FPS	384 FPS
high	403 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	279 FPS
4K
low	312 FPS	278 FPS
medium	280 FPS	239 FPS
high	266 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	797 FPS	541 FPS
medium	633 FPS	541 FPS
high	556 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	527 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	541 FPS
medium	565 FPS	518 FPS
high	490 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	458 FPS
medium	425 FPS	363 FPS
high	381 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	859 FPS	541 FPS
medium	802 FPS	541 FPS
high	699 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	628 FPS	541 FPS
1440p
low	760 FPS	541 FPS
medium	678 FPS	541 FPS
high	590 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	541 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	541 FPS
medium	488 FPS	541 FPS
high	437 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	384 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700K and Core i9-9900X

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.

Core i9-9900X

The Core i9-9900X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 21,655 points. Launch price was $989.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700K packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i9-9900X offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-12700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9900X — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-12700K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i9-9900X uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700K scores 34,347 against the Core i9-9900X's 21,655 — a 45.3% lead for the Core i7-12700K. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K vs 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900X.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
Cores / Threads	12 / 20+20%	10 / 20
Boost Clock	5 GHz+11%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)+30%	19.25 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	34,347+59%	21,655
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	13,985
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,459
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,475

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-9900X uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i7-12700K versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i9-9900X — the Core i7-12700K supports 80% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-12700K) vs 4 (Core i9-9900X). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-12700K) vs 44 (Core i9-9900X) — the Core i9-9900X offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i7-12700K) and X299 (Core i9-9900X).

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
Socket	LGA1700	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+80%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	44+120%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-9900X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-12700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i9-9900X requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9900X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Core i9-9900X debuted at $989. On MSRP ($409 vs $989), the Core i7-12700K is $580 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-12700K delivers 84.0 pts/$ vs 21.9 pts/$ for the Core i9-9900X — making the Core i7-12700K the 117.3% better value option.