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 i9-12900F

2022

Why buy it

✅+4.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
10% HIGHER MSRP
$494 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.0% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $45 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Core i9-12900F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,293 vs 35,873).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

Core i9-12900F

2022

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅+4.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.0% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $45 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while Core i9-12900F needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
10% HIGHER MSRP
$494 MSRPvs$449 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (34,293 vs 35,873).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7800X3D better than Core i9-12900F?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is ahead with a 35.0% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900F pulls ahead with 4.6% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 7800X3D also has the bigger cache pool with 220% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 30 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900F is the better fit. You are getting 4.6% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is $45 cheaper on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $494 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.0% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-12900F is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 4.6% better PassMark. It is also 5.2% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 72.6 PassMark/$), 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 i9-12900F 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?

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022) and 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 30 MB. 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 i9-12900F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	269 FPS	266 FPS
medium	259 FPS	247 FPS
high	214 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	258 FPS
medium	198 FPS	215 FPS
high	159 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	179 FPS
medium	136 FPS	149 FPS
high	106 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i9-12900F Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	617 FPS	857 FPS
medium	526 FPS	737 FPS
high	441 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	399 FPS	493 FPS
1440p
low	533 FPS	722 FPS
medium	470 FPS	611 FPS
high	397 FPS	500 FPS
ultra	340 FPS	398 FPS
4K
low	311 FPS	396 FPS
medium	281 FPS	339 FPS
high	266 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i9-12900F Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	775 FPS	857 FPS
medium	619 FPS	857 FPS
high	545 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	857 FPS
medium	560 FPS	851 FPS
high	487 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	558 FPS
medium	418 FPS	479 FPS
high	378 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i9-12900F Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	894 FPS	857 FPS
medium	809 FPS	857 FPS
high	696 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	765 FPS	857 FPS
medium	681 FPS	760 FPS
high	586 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	517 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	524 FPS	618 FPS
medium	475 FPS	556 FPS
high	423 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	428 FPS

Open Core i9-12900F Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900F and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Core i9-12900F

The Core i9-12900F 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 35,873 points. Launch price was $499.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-12900F packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900F has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-12900F versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 2% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900F (base: 2.4 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core i9-12900F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900F scores 35,873 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 4.5% lead for the Core i9-12900F. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900F vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+2%	5 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	4.4 GHz+83%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+220%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	5 nm-29%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	35,873+5%	34,293
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i9-12900F versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — the Core i9-12900F supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-12900F) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i9-12900F) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D).

Feature	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+95900%	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128	128 GB+104857500%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 7 7800X3D supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900F) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-12900F requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i9-12900F rivals Ryzen 9 5900X; Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Core i9-12900F	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900F launched at $494 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. On MSRP ($494 vs $449), the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is $45 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900F delivers 72.6 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 5% better value option.