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 i9-12900E

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Ryzen 7 7840H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840H across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $500 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Ryzen 7 7840H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,832 vs 28,170).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-12900E can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i9-12900E

2022

Ryzen 7 7840H

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 770, while Ryzen 7 7840H needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840H across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $500 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (27,832 vs 28,170).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-12900E can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7840H better than Core i9-12900E?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7840H is ahead with a 9.3% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900E pulls ahead with 1.2% better PassMark. Core i9-12900E also has the bigger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900E is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 7840H is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i9-12900E makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 7840H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $500 MSRP, and it gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core i9-12900E is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.2% better PassMark. Core i9-12900E is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (56.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 7 7840H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022). 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 i9-12900E Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7840H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 7840H
1080p
low	254 FPS	268 FPS
medium	239 FPS	241 FPS
high	201 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	220 FPS	234 FPS
medium	187 FPS	191 FPS
high	153 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	160 FPS
medium	128 FPS	132 FPS
high	100 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 7840H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 7840H
1080p
low	646 FPS	499 FPS
medium	552 FPS	415 FPS
high	462 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	318 FPS
1440p
low	557 FPS	437 FPS
medium	497 FPS	383 FPS
high	419 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	280 FPS
4K
low	330 FPS	290 FPS
medium	299 FPS	265 FPS
high	282 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	215 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 7840H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 7840H
1080p
low	704 FPS	696 FPS
medium	704 FPS	696 FPS
high	704 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	650 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	696 FPS
medium	704 FPS	637 FPS
high	704 FPS	548 FPS
ultra	656 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	596 FPS	534 FPS
medium	502 FPS	460 FPS
high	447 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	344 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 7840H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 7840H
1080p
low	704 FPS	696 FPS
medium	704 FPS	696 FPS
high	704 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	704 FPS	696 FPS
1440p
low	704 FPS	696 FPS
medium	704 FPS	696 FPS
high	696 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	591 FPS	631 FPS
4K
low	659 FPS	619 FPS
medium	584 FPS	553 FPS
high	513 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	434 FPS

Open Core i9-12900E Open Ryzen 7 7840H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900E and Ryzen 7 7840H

Core i9-12900E

The Core i9-12900E 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 28,170 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 7840H

The Ryzen 7 7840H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600. Passmark benchmark score: 27,832 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-12900E packs 16 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7840H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900E has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-12900E versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7840H — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840H (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i9-12900E uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7840H uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900E scores 28,170 against the Ryzen 7 7840H's 27,832 — a 1.2% lead for the Core i9-12900E. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900E vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7840H.

Feature	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 7840H
Cores / Threads	16 / 24+100%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.1 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	3.8 GHz+65%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+88%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	28,170+1%	27,832
Cinebench R23 Multi	13,420	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,107	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 7840H uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-12900E	Ryzen 7 7840H
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-12900E) / not specified (Ryzen 7 7840H). The Core i9-12900E includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen 7 7840H requires a dedicated GPU.