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 i7-12700K

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Core i9-9980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 34,347).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i7-12700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-12700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-12700K

2021

Core i9-9980HK

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of BGA1440 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Core i9-9980HK needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 125W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Core i9-9980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌177.8% higher power demand at 125W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,966 vs 34,347).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Older platform position on BGA1440 with DDR4, while Core i7-12700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-12700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12700K better than Core i9-9980HK?

Yes. Core i7-12700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 145.9% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-12700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700K is the better fit. You are getting 145.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Core i7-12700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-12700K is at an unclear MSRP at $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 18.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i7-12700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of BGA1440, 56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i7-12700K Benchmark Check

Core i9-9980HK Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	314 FPS	271 FPS
medium	295 FPS	246 FPS
high	246 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	235 FPS
medium	225 FPS	193 FPS
high	182 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	165 FPS
medium	142 FPS	137 FPS
high	109 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9980HK

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	630 FPS	349 FPS
medium	533 FPS	349 FPS
high	450 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	349 FPS
1440p
low	536 FPS	349 FPS
medium	475 FPS	349 FPS
high	403 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	323 FPS
4K
low	312 FPS	349 FPS
medium	280 FPS	310 FPS
high	266 FPS	291 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	245 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9980HK

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	797 FPS	349 FPS
medium	633 FPS	349 FPS
high	556 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	349 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	349 FPS
medium	565 FPS	349 FPS
high	490 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	349 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	349 FPS
medium	425 FPS	349 FPS
high	381 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	322 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9980HK

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9980HK
1080p
low	859 FPS	349 FPS
medium	802 FPS	349 FPS
high	699 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	628 FPS	349 FPS
1440p
low	760 FPS	349 FPS
medium	678 FPS	349 FPS
high	590 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	349 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	349 FPS
medium	488 FPS	349 FPS
high	437 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	384 FPS	349 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Core i9-9980HK

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700K and Core i9-9980HK

Core i7-12700K

The Core i7-12700K 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 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 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: 34,347 points. Launch price was $409.

Core i9-9980HK

The Core i9-9980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-HR (2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,966 points. Launch price was $583.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-12700K packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Core i9-9980HK offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-12700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-9980HK — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-12700K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i9-9980HK uses Coffee Lake-HR (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700K scores 34,347 against the Core i9-9980HK's 13,966 — a 84.4% lead for the Core i7-12700K. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980HK.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9980HK
Cores / Threads	12 / 20+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)+56%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Coffee Lake-HR (2019)
PassMark	34,347+146%	13,966

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-9980HK uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Core i9-9980HK
Socket	LGA1700	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	128	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700K) / not specified (Core i9-9980HK). The Core i7-12700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Core i9-9980HK requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X.