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 i7-12650HX

2022

Why buy it

✅+17.4% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 6900HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌57.1% higher power demand at 55W vs 35W.

Ryzen 9 6900HS

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 55W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (8,732 vs 10,250).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).

Core i7-12650HX

2022

Ryzen 9 6900HS

2022

Why buy it

✅+17.4% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 55W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 6900HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌57.1% higher power demand at 55W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (8,732 vs 10,250).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12650HX better than Ryzen 9 6900HS?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 6900HS is ahead with a 4.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12650HX pulls ahead with 17.4% better Geekbench multi-core. Core i7-12650HX also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12650HX is the better fit. You are getting 17.4% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i7-12650HX still looks like the safer overall buy. Core i7-12650HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 17.4% better Geekbench multi-core.

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

Core i7-12650HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i7-12650HX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 6900HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12650HX	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	177 FPS	251 FPS
medium	164 FPS	234 FPS
high	137 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	220 FPS
medium	127 FPS	186 FPS
high	103 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	154 FPS
medium	77 FPS	131 FPS
high	62 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-12650HX Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12650HX	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	306 FPS	441 FPS
medium	261 FPS	370 FPS
high	221 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	287 FPS
1440p
low	257 FPS	370 FPS
medium	228 FPS	323 FPS
high	198 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	247 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	255 FPS
medium	141 FPS	229 FPS
high	133 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	119 FPS	186 FPS

Open Core i7-12650HX Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12650HX	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	580 FPS	576 FPS
medium	580 FPS	564 FPS
high	545 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	580 FPS	576 FPS
medium	554 FPS	510 FPS
high	485 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	355 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	432 FPS
medium	416 FPS	368 FPS
high	373 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	314 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i7-12650HX Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12650HX	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	580 FPS	576 FPS
medium	580 FPS	576 FPS
high	580 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	580 FPS	576 FPS
1440p
low	580 FPS	576 FPS
medium	580 FPS	576 FPS
high	566 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	513 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	536 FPS
medium	473 FPS	489 FPS
high	419 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i7-12650HX Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12650HX and Ryzen 9 6900HS

Core i7-12650HX

The Core i7-12650HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 May 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,215 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 6900HS

The Ryzen 9 6900HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,040 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-12650HX packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 6900HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-12650HX has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-12650HX versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 9 6900HS — a 4.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 6900HS (base: 2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-12650HX uses the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 6900HS uses Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12650HX scores 23,215 against the Ryzen 9 6900HS's 23,040 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-12650HX. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,400 vs 1,854, a 25.7% lead for the Core i7-12650HX that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,250 vs 8,732 (16% advantage for the Core i7-12650HX). L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-12650HX vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 6900HS.

Feature	Core i7-12650HX	Ryzen 9 6900HS
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz	4.9 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2 GHz	3.3 GHz+65%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+50%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	6 nm-14%
Architecture	Alder Lake-HX (2022)	Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022)
PassMark	23,215	23,040
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	13,445
Geekbench 6 Single	2,400+29%	1,854
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,250+17%	8,732

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12650HX uses the FCBGA1964 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 6900HS uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core i7-12650HX 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. PCIe lanes: 48 (Core i7-12650HX) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 6900HS) — the Core i7-12650HX offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM670,WM690 (Core i7-12650HX) and FP7 (Ryzen 9 6900HS).

Feature	Core i7-12650HX	Ryzen 9 6900HS
Socket	FCBGA1964	FP7
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	48+140%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12650HX) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 6900HS). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12650HX) and Radeon 680M (Ryzen 9 6900HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-12650HX targets Gaming Laptop.