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: +22.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,347 vs 34,585).
❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌346.4% higher power demand at 125W vs 28W.

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 125W, a 97W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).

Core i7-12700K

2021

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 125W, a 97W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,347 vs 34,585).
❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌346.4% higher power demand at 125W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 better than Core i7-12700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-12700K is ahead with a 22.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Core i7-12700K also has the bigger cache pool with 56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i7-12700K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $409 MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-12700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 22.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-12700K is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021) and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 12/20. 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

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	314 FPS	245 FPS
medium	295 FPS	230 FPS
high	246 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	216 FPS
medium	225 FPS	184 FPS
high	182 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	150 FPS
medium	142 FPS	128 FPS
high	109 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	630 FPS	262 FPS
medium	533 FPS	220 FPS
high	450 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	536 FPS	232 FPS
medium	475 FPS	203 FPS
high	403 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	312 FPS	154 FPS
medium	280 FPS	140 FPS
high	266 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	115 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	797 FPS	738 FPS
medium	633 FPS	587 FPS
high	556 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	429 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	661 FPS
medium	565 FPS	533 FPS
high	490 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	482 FPS
medium	425 FPS	403 FPS
high	381 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	301 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
1080p
low	859 FPS	865 FPS
medium	802 FPS	809 FPS
high	699 FPS	694 FPS
ultra	628 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	760 FPS	757 FPS
medium	678 FPS	680 FPS
high	590 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	515 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	518 FPS
medium	488 FPS	473 FPS
high	437 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	384 FPS	369 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700K and Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

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.

Ryzen AI 9 HX 375

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Julho 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,585 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700K packs 12 cores / 20 threads, matching the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375's 12 cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-12700K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 uses Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700K scores 34,347 against the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375's 34,585 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
Cores / Threads	12 / 20	12 / 24
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.1 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)+56%	16 MB
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)	Strix Point-HX (Zen 5) (2024)
PassMark	34,347	34,585
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	22,246
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,865
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,100

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i7-12700K versus LPDDR5x-8000, DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 — the Core i7-12700K supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-12700K) vs 16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375) — the Core i7-12700K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i7-12700K) and SoC (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375).

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+95900%	LPDDR5x-8000, DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128	256 GB+209715100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-12700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700K) vs AMD-V, AMD-Vi (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12700K) and Radeon 890M (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 targets AI-Notebook. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X; Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 rivals Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Ryzen AI 9 HX 375
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Radeon 890M
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, AMD-Vi
Target Use	—	AI-Notebook

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($409 vs $0), the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is $409 cheaper.