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Intel 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900KF vs Intel Core i9-12900KF: Comparison
Intel 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900KF and Intel Core i9-12900KF separate most on l2 cache: Intel 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900KF at 2.5 MB, Intel Core i9-12900KF at 14 MB, 82% in favour of Intel Core i9-12900KF. L3 Cache splits them by another 33%, again favouring Intel Core i9-12900KF. They match on 6 other specifications, including form factor, tdp and market segment. In Blender Cycles (CPU) the Intel Core i9-12900KF scores 346 against 226 for the Intel 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900KF, a lead of 35%.
Specs
| Specification |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Product Line | Core i9 | Core |
| Form Factor | Desktop | Desktop |
| Model Number | 10900KF | i9-12900KF |
| Codename | Comet Lake | Alder Lake |
| Release Year | 2020 | 2022 |
| TDP | 125 W | 125 W |
| Market Segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Socket | LGA 1200 | LGA 1700 |
| Socket Status | End of Life | Mature |
| Process Node | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| SMT Enabled | Yes | true |
| P-Core Base Clock | 3.7 GHz | 3.2 |
| P-Core Boost Clock | 5.3 GHz | 5.2 |
| L2 Cache | 2.5 MB-82% | 14 MB |
| L3 Cache | 20 MB-33% | 30 MB |
| Base Power | 125 W | 125 W |
| Memory Type | DDR4 | DDR5 or DDR4 |
| Memory Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Integrated Graphics | No | No |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 5.0 |
| PCIe Lanes | 16-20% | 20 |
| Launch MSRP | $472 | 564 |
| Retail Availability | Retail | Boxed Retail |
| Architecture | Comet Lake, 10th Gen Intel Core | 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
Intel Core i9-12900KF
7.8 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core i9-12900KF is an unlocked, GPU-less chip aimed at enthusiasts already running a discrete graphics card.
More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X vs Intel Core i9-12900KF
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D vs Intel Core i9-12900KF
- AMD 6th Gen A10-8700P APU vs Intel Core i9-12900KF
- Intel Core i9-12900KF vs Intel Core i9-14900K
- Intel Core i9-12900KF vs Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900KS
- Intel 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900F vs Intel Core i9-12900KF