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 i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 30,055).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 120.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Core i7-12700

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.1% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $135 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 221.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i7-12700

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.1% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $135 less on MSRP ($250 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 221.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-12700 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 30,055).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 120.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-12700 better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i7-12700 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 20.1% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 108.8% 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 i7-12700 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 20.1% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-12700 is the better fit. You are getting 108.8% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-12700 is the smarter buy today. Core i7-12700 is $135 cheaper on MSRP at $250 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 20.1% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 221.5% better value on MSRP (120.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 i7-12700 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 20 threads instead of 8/8. 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 i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Core i7-12700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
1080p
low	308 FPS	257 FPS
medium	278 FPS	248 FPS
high	231 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	226 FPS
medium	221 FPS	194 FPS
high	178 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	157 FPS
medium	140 FPS	134 FPS
high	108 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-12700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
1080p
low	360 FPS	312 FPS
medium	321 FPS	265 FPS
high	291 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	204 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	257 FPS
medium	282 FPS	228 FPS
high	258 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	157 FPS
medium	221 FPS	141 FPS
high	208 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	118 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-12700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
1080p
low	360 FPS	751 FPS
medium	360 FPS	610 FPS
high	360 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	458 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	683 FPS
medium	360 FPS	547 FPS
high	360 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	411 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	493 FPS
medium	360 FPS	412 FPS
high	360 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	311 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-12700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
1080p
low	360 FPS	751 FPS
medium	360 FPS	751 FPS
high	360 FPS	664 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	590 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	730 FPS
medium	360 FPS	651 FPS
high	360 FPS	560 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	487 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	513 FPS
medium	360 FPS	468 FPS
high	360 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	360 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-12700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i7-12700

Core i7-9700K

The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.

Core i7-12700

The Core i7-12700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 30,055 points. Launch price was $349.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-12700 offers 12 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-12700 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-12700 — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-12700 uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i7-12700's 30,055 — a 70.4% lead for the Core i7-12700. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	12 / 20+50%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	4.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+71%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+108%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	14,397	30,055+109%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,568
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,497
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	12,448

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-12700 uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200 on the Core i7-12700 — the Core i7-12700 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 20 (Core i7-12700) — the Core i7-12700 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,Z790 (Core i7-12700).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core i7-12700). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12700) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i7-12700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700 rivals Ryzen 7 5700X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-12700
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x / VT-d / EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i7-12700 debuted at $250. On MSRP ($385 vs $250), the Core i7-12700 is $135 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 120.2 pts/$ for the Core i7-12700 — making the Core i7-12700 the 105.1% better value option.