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 i9-12900K

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (41,180 vs 41,834).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (30 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $589 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 390 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌127.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 55W.

Ryzen AI Max 390

2025

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅+113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 125W, a 70W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-12900K

2021

Ryzen AI Max 390

2025

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅+113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 125W, a 70W reduction.
✅40% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (41,180 vs 41,834).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (30 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $589 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 390 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌127.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 55W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max 390 better than Core i9-12900K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-12900K is ahead with a 1.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI Max 390 pulls ahead with 1.6% better PassMark. Ryzen AI Max 390 also has the bigger cache pool with 113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI Max 390 is the better fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB).

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

Ryzen AI Max 390 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i9-12900K makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI Max 390 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $589 MSRP, and it gives you 1.6% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-12900K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-12900K is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (69.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 AI Max 390 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), 113.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 30 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 i9-12900K Benchmark Check

Ryzen AI Max 390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
1080p
low	272 FPS	265 FPS
medium	261 FPS	241 FPS
high	215 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	185 FPS	178 FPS
1440p
low	233 FPS	252 FPS
medium	199 FPS	206 FPS
high	159 FPS	162 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	175 FPS
medium	137 FPS	143 FPS
high	106 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	96 FPS

Open Core i9-12900K Open Ryzen AI Max 390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
1080p
low	636 FPS	671 FPS
medium	540 FPS	578 FPS
high	452 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	376 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	564 FPS
medium	482 FPS	503 FPS
high	407 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	321 FPS	318 FPS
medium	290 FPS	288 FPS
high	275 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i9-12900K Open Ryzen AI Max 390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
1080p
low	776 FPS	769 FPS
medium	620 FPS	602 FPS
high	541 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	668 FPS
medium	560 FPS	527 FPS
high	484 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	387 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	478 FPS
medium	418 FPS	395 FPS
high	379 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	292 FPS

Open Core i9-12900K Open Ryzen AI Max 390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
1080p
low	900 FPS	1046 FPS
medium	817 FPS	953 FPS
high	706 FPS	833 FPS
ultra	637 FPS	751 FPS
1440p
low	778 FPS	838 FPS
medium	693 FPS	746 FPS
high	598 FPS	652 FPS
ultra	529 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	534 FPS	616 FPS
medium	483 FPS	552 FPS
high	432 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	422 FPS

Open Core i9-12900K Open Ryzen AI Max 390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900K and Ryzen AI Max 390

Core i9-12900K

The Core i9-12900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 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): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 41,180 points. Launch price was $589.

Ryzen AI Max 390

The Ryzen AI Max 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 41,834 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-12900K packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen AI Max 390 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Core i9-12900K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-12900K versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max 390 — a 3.9% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900K (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i9-12900K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max 390 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900K scores 41,180 against the Ryzen AI Max 390's 41,834 — a 1.6% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 390. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900K vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max 390.

Feature	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+33%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+4%	5 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+113%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Strix Halo (2025)
PassMark	41,180	41,834+2%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen AI Max 390 uses FP11 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 on the Core i9-12900K versus 8000 on the Ryzen AI Max 390 — the Ryzen AI Max 390 supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Core i9-12900K) vs 4 (Ryzen AI Max 390). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-12900K) vs 28 (Ryzen AI Max 390) — the Ryzen AI Max 390 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 600 series,Intel 700 series (Core i9-12900K) and Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max 390).

Feature	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
Socket	LGA1700	FP11
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	8000+159900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	28+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-12900K) / VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max 390). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-12900K) and AMD Radeon 8050S (Ryzen AI Max 390) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen AI Max 390 rivals Apple M4 Max.

Feature	Core i9-12900K	Ryzen AI Max 390
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	AMD Radeon 8050S
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-12900K launched at $589 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI Max 390 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($589 vs $0), the Ryzen AI Max 390 is $589 cheaper.