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#56 of 555
Overall rank
Core i9-12900K
16 cores · 24 threads · up to 5.2 GHz on FCLGA1700.
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Cores
16
Threads
24
Boost
5.2 GHz
L3 cache
6 MB
TDP
125W
Socket
FCLGA1700
Performance breakdown
Gaming26
Productivity26
Single-core26
Multi-core67
Power efficiency21
Lab scores
Performance score25
Cores16
Threads24
Boost clock (GHz)5.2 GHz
Estimated gaming FPS
Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.
1080p57 fps
1440p46 fps
4K31 fps
Full specifications
Processor & cores
- Architecture
- Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont
- Process node
- 10 nm
- Socket
- FCLGA1700
- Release year
- 2021
- Total cores
- 16
- Threads
- 24
- Integrated graphics
- Intel UHD Graphics 770
Clocks & cache
- Base clock
- 3.2 GHz
- Boost clock
- 5.2 GHz
- Multiplier
- 32 (unlocked)
- L1 cache
- 768 KB
- L2 cache
- 4 MB
- L3 cache
- 6 MB
Memory & platform
- Memory support
- DDR4
- Max capacity
- 128 GB
- Channels
- 2
- Max bandwidth
- 76.805 GB/s
- Base power (TDP)
- 125W
- Max temperature
- 100°C
- PCIe
- PCIe 5.0 and 4.0
- Launch price
- $589
Technologies
- Instruction sets
- SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
- Extensions
- AES-NI, AVX, VT-x, VT-d, Turbo Boost Max 3.0, TXT
Community Feedback
What Owners Say
Owners love the raw speed for gaming and heavy multitasking. The usual gripe is it runs hot and needs a serious cooler to stay happy.
Pros
- Tops charts for gaming performance
- Multitasks without breaking a sweat
- Great for heavy video editing
- Holds up well in daily use
Cons
- Hot under heavy loads
- Needs very strong cooling
- Power hungry for gaming
Verdict
Our verdict on the Core i9-12900K
A powerful hybrid desktop CPU mixing fast and efficient cores, but runs hot and demands a good cooler.
Get it if you need top-tier gaming and productivity performance now, and you're okay with a hot-running chip that demands serious cooling. Skip it if you're building a power-efficient rig or can wait for a newer, more efficient platform.
Buy it if…
- You want top-tier gaming and heavy multitasking on a single PC.
- You edit long 4K video projects and need fast render times.
- You build a powerful workstation for coding, VMs, and 3D modeling.
Leaderboard
Its place in the overall top
3.8
177 votes
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