Core i9-12900 vs Xeon Gold 6240R

Core i9-12900

16 Cores24 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2022

Xeon Gold 6240R

24 Cores48 Thrd165 WWMax: 4 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-12900

16 / 24

33,695

+1.0%

33,353

0.0%

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-12900

#229

Core i5-10600

MSRP: $244|Avg: $159

106%

#230

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G

MSRP: $193|Avg: $100

106%

#231

Core i7-8700B

MSRP: $303|Avg: $139

106%

#232

Ryzen 3 2200G

MSRP: $99|Avg: $80

105%

#233

Core i3-9100F

MSRP: $97|Avg: $80

104%

#234

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

MSRP: $479|Avg: $479

104%

#235

Ryzen 9 3900XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $390

104%

#236

Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

103%

#237

Core i7-14700T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $384

103%

#238

Core i3-13100TE

MSRP: $137|Avg: $137

102%

#239

Core i5-9600T

MSRP: $213|Avg: $118

101%

#240

Core i5-12400T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

101%

#241

Core i9-14900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $579

101%

#242

Celeron G6900E

MSRP: $53|Avg: $53

100%

#243

Core i3-12300T

MSRP: $209|Avg: $164

100%

#244

Core i9-12900

MSRP: $519|Avg: $420

100%

#245

Ryzen 3 8300G

MSRP: $176|Avg: $176

100%

#246

Core i7-11700KF

MSRP: $374|Avg: $299

99%

#247

Core i5-10600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $179

99%

#248

Core i3-10325

MSRP: $154|Avg: $130

99%

#249

Ryzen Embedded V2718

MSRP: $250|Avg: $200

99%

#250

Core i7-8086K

MSRP: $425|Avg: $178

99%

#251

Core i3-10300T

MSRP: $157|Avg: $100

98%

#252

Core i9-10900TE

MSRP: $309|Avg: $180

98%

#253

Core i9-12900T

MSRP: $489|Avg: $378

98%

#254

Core i5-12600T

MSRP: $223|Avg: $223

97%

#255

Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $180

97%

#256

Ryzen 7 1700X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $60

49%

#256

Ryzen 5 3500X

MSRP: $155|Avg: $171

96%

#257

Core i9-14900

MSRP: $524|Avg: $589

96%

#258

Core i5-8600

MSRP: $213|Avg: $130

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon Gold 6240R

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

530%

Core i9-9990XE

MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A

Xeon W-11855M

MSRP: $450|Avg: $200

10%

MSRP: $623|Avg: $450

MSRP: $467|Avg: $350

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

100%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

89%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

69%

#16

EPYC 7302

MSRP: $978|Avg: $109

68%

#21

Xeon Platinum 8260M

MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A

62%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($2,444) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6240R is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i9-12900	Xeon Gold 6240R
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($420)	⚠️ Higher cost ($2,444)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)	✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-12900 ($420), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($2,024 less, 83% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i9-12900	Xeon Gold 6240R
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+488%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($420)	⚠️ Higher cost ($2,444)

Performance Check

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 i9-12900 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6240R Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900 and Xeon Gold 6240R

Core i9-12900

The Core i9-12900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 30 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: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 33,695 points. Launch price was $489.

Xeon Gold 6240R

The Xeon Gold 6240R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 33,353 points. Launch price was $2,200.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-12900 packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6240R offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Gold 6240R has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-12900 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6240R — a 24.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i9-12900 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6240R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900 scores 33,695 against the Xeon Gold 6240R's 33,353 — a 1% lead for the Core i9-12900. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900 vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6240R.

Feature	Core i9-12900	Xeon Gold 6240R
Cores / Threads	16 / 24	24 / 48+50%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+27%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	35.75 MB+19%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	24 MB+1820%
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	33,695+1%	33,353
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	22,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,212
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	17,218

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 6240R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i9-12900 versus DDR4-2933 on the Xeon Gold 6240R — the Core i9-12900 supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6240R supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 128 — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i9-12900) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6240R). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i9-12900) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6240R) — the Xeon Gold 6240R offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i9-12900) and C621,Lewisburg (Xeon Gold 6240R).

Feature	Core i9-12900	Xeon Gold 6240R
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+119900%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128	1024 GB+838860700%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	✅	✅
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6240R supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Gold 6240R). The Core i9-12900 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon Gold 6240R requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Xeon Gold 6240R targets Server / High-load computing. Direct competitor: Core i9-12900 rivals Ryzen 9 5900; Xeon Gold 6240R rivals EPYC 7402.

Feature	Core i9-12900	Xeon Gold 6240R
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Server / High-load computing