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Intel Core i9-12900KS

Intel Core i9-12900KS

Intel Core i9-12900KS: A Comprehensive Review of the Hybrid Flagship of 2025

Relevant as of March 2025

1. Key Specifications: Architecture, Process Technology, and Key Features

Alder Lake Hybrid Architecture

The Intel Core i9-12900KS, released in 2022, remains relevant in 2025 due to its unique hybrid architecture. The processor combines 8 Performance-cores (P-cores) with Hyper-Threading support (16 threads) and 8 Efficient-cores (E-cores, 8 threads). This allows for effective task allocation: P-cores handle high-performance applications, while E-cores manage background processes.

Intel 7 Process Technology and Frequencies Up to 5.2 GHz

Manufactured using a 10nm process (marketed as Intel 7), this chip demonstrates record frequencies. The base frequency for P-cores is 3.4 GHz, but in Turbo Boost Max 3.0 mode, they can boost up to 5.2 GHz. The E-cores have a stated Turbo boost of up to 4.0 GHz. This makes the i9-12900KS one of the fastest processors for single-threaded tasks even three years after its release.

Performance and Cache

With scores of 2697 points in Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) and 16271 (Multi-Core), the processor outperforms many current mid-range models. The L3 cache size is 30 MB, which accelerates data processing in games and professional applications.

Key Features

- Support for PCIe 5.0 (up to 16 lanes) and DDR5.

- Integrated graphics Intel UHD Graphics 770 — suitable for office tasks or emergencies without a discrete graphics card.

- Thread Director technology for optimizing core workload distribution.

2. Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

LGA 1700 Socket

The processor uses the LGA 1700 socket, which is supported by the Z690, H670, B660, H610 chipsets. By 2025, the prices for compatible motherboards have decreased:

- Z690 (from $180): Best choice for overclocking (ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero — $250).

- B660 (from $120): Optimal for builds without overclocking (MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk — $140).

Selection Features

- DDR4/DDR5 Support: Some motherboards work only with DDR4 (e.g., Gigabyte B660M DS3H DDR4), while others support DDR5. Check specifications!

- PCIe 5.0: Available only on Z690/H670 motherboards.

3. Supported Memory: DDR4 vs DDR5

The processor is compatible with both standards, but not simultaneously. By 2025, DDR5 has become more accessible; however, DDR4 is still relevant for budget builds:

- DDR5-4800 (from $80 for 16 GB): Suitable for rendering and 4K gaming (example: Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-5200).

- DDR4-3200 (from $50 for 16 GB): Savings of up to 30% without significant performance loss in most scenarios.

Tip: For gaming, the difference between DDR4 and DDR5 is minimal (1-5% fps), but in tasks like video compression, DDR5 can speed up processes by 15-20%.

4. Power Supply Recommendations

With a TDP of 150 W and peak consumption of up to 240 W (in stress tests), a quality power supply is required:

- Minimum 750 W: For example, Corsair RM750x (80 Plus Gold, $120).

- For systems with RTX 4080/4090: Better to use 850-1000 W (Seasonic PRIME GX-850, $150).

Important: Cheap PSUs may not handle peak loads, leading to system reboots.

5. Pros and Cons of the Processor

Advantages

- Best-in-class single-threaded performance.

- Support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 (relevant for next-generation NVMe SSDs).

- Hybrid architecture increases energy efficiency under mixed workloads.

Disadvantages

- High heat output: Without liquid cooling (e.g., NZXT Kraken X63), temperatures can reach 100°C.

- Price: In 2025, the new i9-12900KS costs about $500, which is more expensive than the Ryzen 9 7900X ($450).

- Limited support lifespan: No updates for new standards like PCIe 6.0.

6. Use Case Scenarios

Gaming

In games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Starfield, the processor ensures stable 120+ fps at 1440p when paired with an RTX 4070 Ti. However, for 4K, the emphasis shifts to the graphics card.

Work Tasks

- Rendering: In Blender, the BMW scene renders in 4.2 minutes (compared to 5.1 with the Ryzen 9 5900X).

- Video Editing: In Adobe Premiere Pro, an 8K video processes 15% faster than on the i9-11900K.

Multimedia

Streaming on OBS with encoding through Quick Sync (integrated graphics) reduces CPU load, maintaining fps in games.

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

- AMD Advantages: 16 cores, PCIe 5.0 support across all lanes, lower power consumption (170 W).

- Disadvantages: In gaming, it lags by 5-8% due to lower frequencies. Price — $550.

Apple M3 Max

For macOS users, the M3 Max is more energy-efficient, but in Windows applications and games, the i9-12900KS retains its advantage.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

- Cooling: A 240mm liquid cooling system or top-tier air cooler (Noctua NH-D15) is mandatory.

- Case: At least 3 intake fans (Lian Li Lancool III).

- Motherboard: Don’t skimp on VRM — boards like the ASUS TUF Gaming Z690 can handle prolonged loads.

9. Conclusion: Who Should Choose the i9-12900KS?

This processor is worth choosing for:

- Gamers looking for maximum fps at 1440p.

- Professionals working with rendering and editing.

- Enthusiasts who value compatibility with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0.

Alternative: If the budget is limited, consider the Ryzen 9 7900X or Intel Core i7-13700K. However, for a top-notch system in 2025, the i9-12900KS remains a worthy choice.

Prices are current as of March 2025. Mentioned brands and models are used as examples.

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Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Desktop
Launch Date
April 2022
Model Name
?
The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.
i9-12900KS
Code Name
Alder Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores
?
Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).
16
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
24
Performance-cores
8
Efficient-cores
8
Max Turbo Frequency
?
Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.
5.50 GHz
Performance-core Base Frequency
3.40 GHz
Efficient-core Base Frequency
2.50 GHz
Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency
?
Maximum P-core turbo frequency derived from Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.
5.20 GHz
Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency
?
Maximum E-core turbo frequency derived from Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.
4.00 GHz
Intel Turbo Boost Technology
?
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.
2.0
Intel Hyper-Threading Technology
?
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.
Yes
Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency
?
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.
5.30 GHz
Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0
?
Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom.
Yes
L3 Cache
30 MB
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
FCLGA1700
Technology
?
Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.
Intel 7
TDP
150 W
Processor Base Power
?
The time-averaged power dissipation that the processor is validated to not exceed during manufacturing while executing an Intel-specified high complexity workload at Base Frequency and at the junction temperature as specified in the Datasheet for the SKU segment and configuration.
150 W
Maximum Turbo Power
?
The maximum sustained (>1s) power dissipation of the processor as limited by current and/or temperature controls. Instantaneous power may exceed Maximum Turbo Power for short durations (<=10ms). Note: Maximum Turbo Power is configurable by system vendor and can be system specific.
241 W
Max. Operating Temperature
?
Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.
90°C
PCI Express Version
?
PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.
5.0 and 4.0
Number of PCI Express Lanes
?
A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.
20
Intel 64
?
Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.
Yes
Instruction Set
?
The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.
64-bit
PCI Express Configurations
?
PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.
Up to 1x16+4 | 2x8+4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type
?
Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.
Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max Memory Size
?
Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.
128 GB
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
2
Max Memory Bandwidth
?
Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).
76.8 GB/s
ECC Memory Supported
?
ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.
Yes

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model
?
An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.
Intel® UHD Graphics 770
Graphics Base Frequency
?
Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.
300 MHz
Graphics Frequency
?
Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.
1.55 GHz
DirectX Support
?
DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.
12
Execution Units
?
The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.
32
Max Resolution (HDMI)
?
Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.
4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz
Max Resolution (DP)
?
Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.
7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz
Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)
?
Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.
5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz
Number of Displays Supported
4
Graphics Output
?
Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.
eDP 1.4b | DP 1.4a | HDMI 2.1

Miscellaneous

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) on CPU
?
A new set of embedded processor technologies designed to accelerate AI deep learning use cases. It extends Intel AVX-512 with a new Vector Neural Network Instruction (VNNI) that significantly increases deep learning inference performance over previous generations.
Yes
Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
?
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.
Yes
Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
?
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.
Yes
Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)
?
Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.
Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology
?
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.
Yes
Execute Disable Bit
?
Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.
Yes
Cache
?
CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.
30 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Intel AES New Instructions
?
Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.
Yes
Intel Active Management Technology (AMT)
Yes
Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)
?
Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.
Yes
Intel Boot Guard
?
Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.
Yes
Intel Hardware Shield Eligibility
Yes
Intel Clear Video HD Technology
?
Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.
Yes
Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)
?
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.
Yes
Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology
?
CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.
Yes
Intel OS Guard
Yes
OpenGL Support
?
OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.
4.5
OpenCL Support
?
OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.
3.0
Intel Quick Sync Video
?
Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.
Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6
Single Core Score
2697
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
16271
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
2036
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
17753
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
4354
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
44157

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
M4 Ultra
3978 +47.5%
Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
2852 +5.7%
Core i9-12900KS
2697
Core i9-12900KF
2525 -6.4%
Snapdragon X Plus X1P-46-100
2375 -11.9%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
M4 Ultra
32188 +97.8%
EPYC 4564P
18581 +14.2%
Core i9-12900KS
16271
Xeon w7-2475X
14254 -12.4%
Core i9-12900
13001 -20.1%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
Core i9-14900KS
2536 +24.6%
Core i9-12900KS
2036
Core i7-13705H
1870 -8.2%
Core i9-11900KF
1768 -13.2%
Ryzen 7 7700
1690 -17%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
Xeon Gold 5418Y
28135 +58.5%
Xeon w5-3435X
21158 +19.2%
Core i9-12900KS
17753
Xeon Gold 5318N
15234 -14.2%
Xeon E7-8870 v3
13682 -22.9%
Passmark CPU Single Core
Core Ultra 9 285K
5268 +21%
M3 Pro
4513 +3.7%
Core i9-12900KS
4354
Core Ultra 5 225H
4139 -4.9%
Core i7-12700KF
4021 -7.6%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
Xeon Gold 6438N
52789 +19.5%
Core i9-14900HX
47009 +6.5%
Core i9-12900KS
44157
Core i5-14600K
39255 -11.1%
Xeon Gold 6248
35626 -19.3%