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 i7-12700

2022

Why buy it

✅+23.2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 8945H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $250 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,500 vs 21,568).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-12700.

Core i7-12700

2022

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅+23.2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 8945H.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 8945H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $250 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 8945H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,500 vs 21,568).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-12700.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8945H better than Core i7-12700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 8945H is ahead with a 25.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700 pulls ahead with 23.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i7-12700 also has the bigger cache pool with 56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700 is the better fit. You are getting 23.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 8945H is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i7-12700 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 8945H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $250 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i7-12700 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 23.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i7-12700 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (120.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 9 8945H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i7-12700 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 8945H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	257 FPS	269 FPS
medium	248 FPS	243 FPS
high	207 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	226 FPS	236 FPS
medium	194 FPS	193 FPS
high	156 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	164 FPS
medium	134 FPS	136 FPS
high	103 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	312 FPS	513 FPS
medium	265 FPS	421 FPS
high	224 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	257 FPS	448 FPS
medium	228 FPS	388 FPS
high	198 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	285 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	295 FPS
medium	141 FPS	267 FPS
high	133 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	751 FPS	756 FPS
medium	610 FPS	756 FPS
high	540 FPS	647 FPS
ultra	458 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	683 FPS	756 FPS
medium	547 FPS	637 FPS
high	479 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	411 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	493 FPS	541 FPS
medium	412 FPS	473 FPS
high	369 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	311 FPS	355 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 9 8945H
1080p
low	751 FPS	756 FPS
medium	751 FPS	756 FPS
high	664 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	590 FPS	754 FPS
1440p
low	730 FPS	756 FPS
medium	651 FPS	756 FPS
high	560 FPS	660 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	513 FPS	572 FPS
medium	468 FPS	511 FPS
high	414 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core i7-12700 Open Ryzen 9 8945H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700 and Ryzen 9 8945H

Core i7-12700

The Core i7-12700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 25 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: 30,055 points. Launch price was $349.

Ryzen 9 8945H

The Ryzen 9 8945H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,240 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700 packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 9 8945H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-12700 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-12700 versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945H — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H (base: 2.1 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i7-12700 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700 scores 30,055 against the Ryzen 9 8945H's 30,240 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 21,568 vs 17,500 (20.8% advantage for the Core i7-12700). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,497 vs 2,617, a 4.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,448 vs 12,662 (1.7% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700 vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 8945H.

Feature	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 9 8945H
Cores / Threads	12 / 20+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.2 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	4 GHz+90%
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)+56%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	8 MB+540%
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	30,055	30,240
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,568+23%	17,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,497	2,617+5%
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,448	12,662+2%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 8945H uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 8945H supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,Z790 (Core i7-12700) and FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945H).

Feature	Core i7-12700	Ryzen 9 8945H
Socket	LGA1700	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 8945H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-12700) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 8945H). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12700) and Radeon 780M (Ryzen 9 8945H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-12700 targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 8945H targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700 rivals Ryzen 7 5700X; Ryzen 9 8945H rivals Core i9-13900H.