Core i7-12850HX vs Core i9-14901E

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 i7-12850HX

2022

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-14901E across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 36 MB).

Core i9-14901E

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+44% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (30,298 vs 30,596).
❌Launch MSRP is still $557 MSRP, while Core i7-12850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Core i7-12850HX

2022

Core i9-14901E

2024

Why buy it

✅+1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+44% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-14901E across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 36 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (30,298 vs 30,596).
❌Launch MSRP is still $557 MSRP, while Core i7-12850HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-14901E better than Core i7-12850HX?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-14901E is ahead with a 5.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12850HX pulls ahead with 1% better PassMark. Core i9-14901E also has the bigger cache pool with 44% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12850HX is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads.

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

Core i9-14901E is the smarter buy today. Core i9-14901E is at an unclear MSRP at $557 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i7-12850HX is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (54.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i9-14901E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and 44% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i7-12850HX Benchmark Check

Core i9-14901E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	269 FPS	273 FPS
medium	259 FPS	254 FPS
high	214 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	256 FPS
medium	198 FPS	214 FPS
high	159 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	148 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	175 FPS
medium	136 FPS	147 FPS
high	106 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	97 FPS

Open Core i7-12850HX Open Core i9-14901E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	313 FPS	757 FPS
medium	265 FPS	677 FPS
high	224 FPS	549 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	479 FPS
1440p
low	258 FPS	659 FPS
medium	228 FPS	594 FPS
high	199 FPS	491 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	395 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	369 FPS
medium	142 FPS	337 FPS
high	135 FPS	317 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i7-12850HX Open Core i9-14901E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	765 FPS	757 FPS
medium	616 FPS	653 FPS
high	545 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	481 FPS
1440p
low	692 FPS	720 FPS
medium	554 FPS	587 FPS
high	485 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	435 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	508 FPS
medium	416 FPS	437 FPS
high	373 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	314 FPS	331 FPS

Open Core i7-12850HX Open Core i9-14901E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	765 FPS	757 FPS
medium	765 FPS	757 FPS
high	672 FPS	757 FPS
ultra	597 FPS	729 FPS
1440p
low	742 FPS	757 FPS
medium	658 FPS	750 FPS
high	566 FPS	656 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	522 FPS	629 FPS
medium	473 FPS	563 FPS
high	419 FPS	499 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core i7-12850HX Open Core i9-14901E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12850HX and Core i9-14901E

Core i7-12850HX

The Core i7-12850HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 May 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1964. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,596 points. Launch price was $499.

Core i9-14901E

The Core i9-14901E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Julho 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,298 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-12850HX packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i9-14901E offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-12850HX has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-12850HX versus 5.6 GHz on the Core i9-14901E — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i9-14901E (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i7-12850HX uses the Alder Lake-HX (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i9-14901E uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12850HX scores 30,596 against the Core i9-14901E's 30,298 — a 1% lead for the Core i7-12850HX. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12850HX vs 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-14901E.

Feature	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5.6 GHz+17%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.8 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	36 MB (total)+44%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-HX (2022)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	30,596	30,298
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,894
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	14,262

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12850HX uses the FCBGA1964 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-14901E uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-4800 memory speed. The Core i9-14901E supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 20 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
Socket	FCBGA1964	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	DDR5-5600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-12850HX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12850HX) vs Yes (Core i9-14901E). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12850HX) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-14901E) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-12850HX targets Mobile Workstation.

Feature	Core i7-12850HX	Core i9-14901E
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Mobile Workstation	—