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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D vs Intel Core i9-12900KS: Comparison
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Core i9-12900KS separate most on l3 cache: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D at 128 MB, Intel Core i9-12900KS at 30 MB, 77% in favour of AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. PCIe Lanes splits them by another 17%, again favouring AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. They match on 10 other specifications, including form factor, market segment and smt enabled. In Blender Cycles (CPU) the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 663 against 373 for the Intel Core i9-12900KS, a lead of 44%.
Specs
| Specification |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | Desktop | Desktop |
| Codename | Granite Ridge | Alder Lake |
| Release Year | 2024 | 2022 |
| TDP | 120 W | 125 W |
| iGPU | AMD Radeon Graphics (2 CUs, RDNA 2) | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Socket | AM5 (LGA 1718) | LGA 1700 |
| Socket Status | Current | Mature |
| Process Node | 4 nm | 10 nm |
| Performance Cores | 16 | 8 |
| Efficiency Cores | 0 | 8 |
| SMT Enabled | true | true |
| P-Core Base Clock | 4.3 | 3.4 |
| P-Core Boost Clock | 5.7 | 5.5 |
| Unlocked Multiplier | true | true |
| L2 Cache | 16 MB | 14 MB-12% |
| L3 Cache | 128 MB | 30 MB-77% |
| Base Power | 170 W | 150 W |
| Max Turbo Power | 230 | 241 |
| Memory Type | DDR5 | DDR5 or DDR4 |
| Max Memory Speed | 5600 | 4800 |
| Memory Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Max Memory Capacity | 256 | 128 |
| Integrated Graphics | Yes | Yes |
| iGPU Model | AMD Radeon Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| iGPU Compute Units | 2 | 32 |
| Copilot Plus Certified | false | false |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 5.0 |
| PCIe Lanes | 24 | 20-17% |
| Launch MSRP | 699 | 739 |
| Retail Availability | Boxed Retail | Boxed Retail |
| Cores | 16 | 16 |
| Threads | 32 | 24 |
| Architecture | Zen 5 (9000 series) | Alder Lake |
Benchmarks
Measured results, not specifications. Percentages are the gap to the leading product in each test.
Blender Cycles (CPU)
Blender 4.5, Blender Open Data (CC0). Median of monster + junkshop + classroom, combined samples/min.
Blender renders 3D scenes by tracing light through them, which loads every core at once. The score measures sustained multi-core throughput, so a chip that wins here can still lose at gaming, where one or two fast cores matter more. Figures come from Blender's Open Data project, which places no restriction on reuse, and we publish the median of every submission for that chip on the same Blender version.
Verdict
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
9.2 / 10 Expert Rating
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is one of the best gaming CPUs available, its huge L3 cache translating directly into higher in-game frame rates.
Intel Core i9-12900KS
8.7 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core i9-12900KS is an unlocked flagship desktop chip, a top pick for enthusiasts who want to overclock.