Core i9-12900TE vs Ryzen 5 7640HS

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 i9-12900TE

2022

Why buy it

✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7640HS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,887 vs 22,921).
❌Launch MSRP is still $494 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7640HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 5 7640HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Core i9-12900TE

2022

Ryzen 5 7640HS

2023

Why buy it

✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7640HS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,887 vs 22,921).
❌Launch MSRP is still $494 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7640HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7640HS better than Core i9-12900TE?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7640HS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 17.5% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.1% 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, Ryzen 5 7640HS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.5% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 7640HS is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 7640HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i9-12900TE makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 7640HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $494 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.5% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-12900TE is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (46.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 7640HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 16/24. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i9-12900TE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7640HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 7640HS
1080p
low	254 FPS	267 FPS
medium	239 FPS	241 FPS
high	201 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	235 FPS
medium	187 FPS	193 FPS
high	153 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	163 FPS
medium	128 FPS	136 FPS
high	100 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 7640HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 7640HS
1080p
low	330 FPS	433 FPS
medium	281 FPS	359 FPS
high	235 FPS	313 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	276 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	376 FPS
medium	242 FPS	326 FPS
high	209 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	244 FPS
4K
low	169 FPS	270 FPS
medium	151 FPS	239 FPS
high	142 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	186 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 7640HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 7640HS
1080p
low	572 FPS	573 FPS
medium	572 FPS	573 FPS
high	572 FPS	573 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	573 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	573 FPS
medium	572 FPS	573 FPS
high	572 FPS	521 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	505 FPS
medium	495 FPS	446 FPS
high	440 FPS	381 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	316 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 7640HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 7640HS
1080p
low	572 FPS	573 FPS
medium	572 FPS	573 FPS
high	572 FPS	573 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	573 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	573 FPS
medium	572 FPS	573 FPS
high	572 FPS	573 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	546 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	566 FPS
medium	572 FPS	507 FPS
high	511 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	387 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 5 7640HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900TE and Ryzen 5 7640HS

Core i9-12900TE

The Core i9-12900TE 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 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,887 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 7640HS

The Ryzen 5 7640HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,921 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-12900TE packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7640HS offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-12900TE has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-12900TE versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7640HS — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7640HS (base: 1.1 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The Core i9-12900TE uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7640HS uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900TE scores 22,887 against the Ryzen 5 7640HS's 22,921 — a 0.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 7640HS. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900TE vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7640HS.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 5 7640HS
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+167%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	4.3 GHz+291%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	22,887	22,921

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900TE uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 7640HS uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.