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

✅Costs $205 less on MSRP ($494 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 120W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,887 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.3 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 92.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 46.3 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics, while Core i9-12900TE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
41.5% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$494 MSRP
❌242.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 35W.

Core i9-12900TE

2022

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $205 less on MSRP ($494 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 120W, a 85W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 92.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 46.3 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics, while Core i9-12900TE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (22,887 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.3 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
41.5% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$494 MSRP
❌242.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Core i9-12900TE?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 34.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 172.3% 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 9 7950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 34.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 30 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 172.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 326.7% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 30 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is 41.5% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $494 MSRP, and it gives you a 34.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 92.4% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 46.3 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 30 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 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 i9-12900TE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	254 FPS	291 FPS
medium	239 FPS	265 FPS
high	201 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	275 FPS
medium	187 FPS	227 FPS
high	153 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	190 FPS
medium	128 FPS	156 FPS
high	100 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	330 FPS	734 FPS
medium	281 FPS	627 FPS
high	235 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	211 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	602 FPS
medium	242 FPS	536 FPS
high	209 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	169 FPS	338 FPS
medium	151 FPS	305 FPS
high	142 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	572 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	572 FPS	1122 FPS
high	572 FPS	1062 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	936 FPS
medium	572 FPS	845 FPS
high	572 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	574 FPS
medium	495 FPS	498 FPS
high	440 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	572 FPS	1082 FPS
medium	572 FPS	973 FPS
high	572 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	572 FPS	853 FPS
medium	572 FPS	751 FPS
high	572 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	623 FPS
medium	572 FPS	555 FPS
high	511 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	433 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i9-12900TE Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900TE and Ryzen 9 7950X3D

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 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,323 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-12900TE packs 16 cores / 24 threads, matching the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 16 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-12900TE versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — a 17.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 1.1 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i9-12900TE uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900TE scores 22,887 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 62,323 — a 92.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900TE vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	16 / 32
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5.7 GHz+19%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	4.2 GHz+282%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+327%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-50%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	22,887	62,323+172%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	38,581
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,926
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	19,643

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900TE uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-12900TE) / true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics), while the Core i9-12900TE requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

Feature	Core i9-12900TE	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900TE launched at $494 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D debuted at $699. On MSRP ($494 vs $699), the Core i9-12900TE is $205 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-12900TE delivers 46.3 pts/$ vs 89.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 63.2% better value option.