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: +40.0% higher average FPS across 15 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 125W instead of 245W, a 120W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Xeon Phi 7290 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 15 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,839 vs 34,347).
❌96% higher power demand at 245W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 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

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +40.0% higher average FPS across 15 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 125W instead of 245W, a 120W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 770, while Xeon Phi 7290 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $409 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700K across 15 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,839 vs 34,347).
❌96% higher power demand at 245W vs 125W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 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 Xeon Phi 7290?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Phi 7290 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-12700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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 40.0% more average FPS across 15 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 92.5% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 20 threads.

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 $409 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 40.0% average FPS lead across 15 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2016), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 20 threads instead of 72/288. 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

Xeon Phi 7290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	314 FPS	177 FPS
medium	295 FPS	143 FPS
high	246 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	269 FPS	141 FPS
medium	225 FPS	111 FPS
high	182 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	145 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	66 FPS
medium	142 FPS	56 FPS
high	109 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	630 FPS	136 FPS
medium	533 FPS	120 FPS
high	450 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	536 FPS	120 FPS
medium	475 FPS	108 FPS
high	403 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	312 FPS	87 FPS
medium	280 FPS	81 FPS
high	266 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	56 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	797 FPS	446 FPS
medium	633 FPS	446 FPS
high	556 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	446 FPS
medium	565 FPS	434 FPS
high	490 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	510 FPS	394 FPS
medium	425 FPS	306 FPS
high	381 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	859 FPS	446 FPS
medium	802 FPS	446 FPS
high	699 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	628 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	760 FPS	446 FPS
medium	678 FPS	446 FPS
high	590 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	519 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	535 FPS	446 FPS
medium	488 FPS	405 FPS
high	437 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	384 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core i7-12700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700K and Xeon Phi 7290

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.

Xeon Phi 7290

The Xeon Phi 7290 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Knights Landing (2016) architecture. It features 72 cores and 288 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 245 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,839 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700K packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Xeon Phi 7290 offers 72 cores / 288 threads — the Xeon Phi 7290 has 60 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon Phi 7290 — a 98.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i7-12700K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses Knights Landing (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700K scores 34,347 against the Xeon Phi 7290's 17,839 — a 63.3% lead for the Core i7-12700K. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K vs 0 kB (total) on the Xeon Phi 7290.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Phi 7290
Cores / Threads	12 / 20	72 / 288+500%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+194%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+140%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	0 kB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Knights Landing (2016)
PassMark	34,347+93%	17,839

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Phi 7290
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
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 (Xeon Phi 7290). The Core i7-12700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon Phi 7290 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X.