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

✅Draws 35W instead of 105W, a 70W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,887 vs 27,712).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.3 vs 61.7 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $45 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Delivers 33.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.7 vs 46.3 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 105W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i9-12900TE moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i9-12900TE

2022

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 105W, a 70W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $45 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅Delivers 33.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.7 vs 46.3 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,887 vs 27,712).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.3 vs 61.7 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌200% higher power demand at 105W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i9-12900TE moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5800X better than Core i9-12900TE?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5800X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 21.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5800X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.3% 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 5800X is the better fit. You are getting 21.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 5800X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5800X is $45 cheaper on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $494 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 33.2% better value on MSRP (61.7 vs 46.3 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i9-12900TE can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core i9-12900TE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 i9-12900TE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	254 FPS	206 FPS
medium	239 FPS	178 FPS
high	201 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	170 FPS
medium	187 FPS	142 FPS
high	153 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	83 FPS
medium	128 FPS	74 FPS
high	100 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	330 FPS	662 FPS
medium	281 FPS	558 FPS
high	235 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	563 FPS
medium	242 FPS	493 FPS
high	209 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	169 FPS	350 FPS
medium	151 FPS	308 FPS
high	142 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	250 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	572 FPS	693 FPS
medium	572 FPS	651 FPS
high	572 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	693 FPS
medium	572 FPS	573 FPS
high	572 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	484 FPS
medium	495 FPS	410 FPS
high	440 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 7 5800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	572 FPS	693 FPS
medium	572 FPS	693 FPS
high	572 FPS	693 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	693 FPS
medium	572 FPS	693 FPS
high	572 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	593 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	604 FPS
medium	572 FPS	550 FPS
high	511 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900TE and Ryzen 7 5800X

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 7 5800X

The Ryzen 7 5800X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 27,712 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-12900TE packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5800X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900TE has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-12900TE versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800X — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900TE (base: 1.1 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i9-12900TE uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900TE scores 22,887 against the Ryzen 7 5800X's 27,712 — a 19.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 5800X. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900TE vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+2%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	3.8 GHz+245%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	32 MB+7%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-30%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	22,887	27,712+21%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900TE uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-12900TE) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5800X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5800X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 7 5800X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900TE launched at $494 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 5800X debuted at $449. On MSRP ($494 vs $449), the Ryzen 7 5800X is $45 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900TE delivers 46.3 pts/$ vs 61.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5800X — making the Ryzen 7 5800X the 28.5% better value option.