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 i9-12900E

2022

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (28,170 vs 28,339).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 56.3 vs 142.4 PassMark/$ ($500 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Ryzen 7 260

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $301 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 142.4 vs 56.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Core i9-12900E

2022

Ryzen 7 260

2025

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅Costs $301 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 142.4 vs 56.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $500 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (28,170 vs 28,339).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 56.3 vs 142.4 PassMark/$ ($500 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 260 better than Core i9-12900E?

Yes. Ryzen 7 260 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.6% 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, Ryzen 7 260 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.2% 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, Ryzen 7 260 is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 260 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 260 is $301 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $500 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 152.8% better value on MSRP (142.4 vs 56.3 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 7 260 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/24. 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 i9-12900E Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 260 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	254 FPS	265 FPS
medium	239 FPS	240 FPS
high	201 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	234 FPS
medium	187 FPS	192 FPS
high	153 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	162 FPS
medium	128 FPS	135 FPS
high	100 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 260

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	646 FPS	486 FPS
medium	552 FPS	399 FPS
high	462 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	304 FPS
1440p
low	557 FPS	424 FPS
medium	497 FPS	367 FPS
high	419 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	330 FPS	280 FPS
medium	299 FPS	253 FPS
high	282 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	204 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 260

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	704 FPS	708 FPS
medium	704 FPS	708 FPS
high	704 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	623 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	708 FPS
medium	704 FPS	644 FPS
high	704 FPS	544 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	467 FPS
4K
low	596 FPS	540 FPS
medium	502 FPS	474 FPS
high	447 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	357 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 260

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
1080p
low	704 FPS	708 FPS
medium	704 FPS	708 FPS
high	704 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	708 FPS
medium	704 FPS	708 FPS
high	696 FPS	657 FPS
ultra	591 FPS	572 FPS
4K
low	659 FPS	574 FPS
medium	584 FPS	511 FPS
high	513 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 260

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900E and Ryzen 7 260

Core i9-12900E

The Core i9-12900E 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 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): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 28,170 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 260

The Ryzen 7 260 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 28,339 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-12900E packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 7 260 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900E has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-12900E versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 260 — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 260 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i9-12900E uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 260 uses Hawk Point (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900E scores 28,170 against the Ryzen 7 260's 28,339 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 260. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900E vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 260.

Feature	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.1 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	3.8 GHz+65%
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)	Hawk Point (2024−2025)
PassMark	28,170	28,339
Cinebench R23 Multi	13,420	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,107	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 260 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core i9-12900E supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900E) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 260). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-12900E) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 7 260) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 260 targets Mobile.

Feature	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 260
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	Radeon 780M
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Mobile

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900E launched at $500 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 260 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($500 vs $199), the Ryzen 7 260 is $301 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900E delivers 56.3 pts/$ vs 142.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 260 — making the Ryzen 7 260 the 86.6% better value option.