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 i9-12900KS

2022

Why buy it

✅+50.2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.9 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($739 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.6% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $290 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 58.9 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (18,500 vs 27,796).

Core i9-12900KS

2022

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅+50.2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.6% higher average FPS across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $290 less on MSRP ($449 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 58.9 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $739 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 150W, a 30W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 7 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.9 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($739 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 150W vs 120W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (18,500 vs 27,796).

Quick Answers

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

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is ahead with a 27.6% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900KS pulls ahead with 50.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. 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 i9-12900KS is the better fit. You are getting 50.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 $290 cheaper on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $739 MSRP, and it gives you a 27.6% average FPS lead across 7 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-12900KS is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 50.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 29.7% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 58.9 PassMark/$), 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 i9-12900KS can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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 i9-12900KS Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	283 FPS	266 FPS
medium	269 FPS	247 FPS
high	225 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	258 FPS
medium	199 FPS	215 FPS
high	162 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	158 FPS	179 FPS
medium	134 FPS	149 FPS
high	104 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i9-12900KS Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	716 FPS	857 FPS
medium	603 FPS	737 FPS
high	501 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	443 FPS	493 FPS
1440p
low	617 FPS	722 FPS
medium	541 FPS	611 FPS
high	454 FPS	500 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	398 FPS
4K
low	363 FPS	396 FPS
medium	326 FPS	339 FPS
high	306 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i9-12900KS Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	866 FPS	857 FPS
medium	686 FPS	857 FPS
high	605 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	502 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	748 FPS	857 FPS
medium	602 FPS	851 FPS
high	523 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	523 FPS	558 FPS
medium	432 FPS	479 FPS
high	392 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i9-12900KS Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	973 FPS	857 FPS
medium	879 FPS	857 FPS
high	763 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	693 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	812 FPS	857 FPS
medium	723 FPS	760 FPS
high	626 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	556 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	555 FPS	618 FPS
medium	502 FPS	556 FPS
high	449 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	428 FPS

Open Core i9-12900KS Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

Core i9-12900KS

The Core i9-12900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 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): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 43,528 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 i9-12900KS packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900KS has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.3 GHz on the Core i9-12900KS versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 5.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900KS (base: 3.4 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core i9-12900KS 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 i9-12900KS scores 43,528 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 23.7% lead for the Core i9-12900KS. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 27,796 vs 18,500 (40.2% advantage for the Core i9-12900KS). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,082 vs 2,700, a 25.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900KS vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+6%	5 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	4.4 GHz+29%
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	43,528+27%	34,293
Cinebench R23 Multi	27,796+50%	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,082	2,700+30%
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900KS uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-12900KS) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: LGA1700 (Core i9-12900KS) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D).

Feature	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900KS) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). Both include integrated graphics — UHD 770 (Core i9-12900KS) and AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Core i9-12900KS	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD 770	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900KS launched at $739 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. On MSRP ($739 vs $449), the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is $290 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900KS delivers 58.9 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 25.8% better value option.