Core i9-12900HK vs Ryzen 7 8840HS

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 i9-12900HK

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs), while Ryzen 7 8840HS needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 7 8840HS.

Trade-offs

❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.

Ryzen 7 8840HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (25,156 vs 25,512).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-12900HK can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-12900HK.

Core i9-12900HK

2022

Ryzen 7 8840HS

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs), while Ryzen 7 8840HS needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 7 8840HS.

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 45W, a 17W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌60.7% higher power demand at 45W vs 28W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (25,156 vs 25,512).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 24 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-12900HK can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-12900HK.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8840HS better than Core i9-12900HK?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 8840HS is ahead with a 1.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900HK pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark. Core i9-12900HK also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-12900HK is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 8840HS still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 7 8840HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 1.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen 7 8840HS 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 i9-12900HK Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 8840HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
1080p
low	267 FPS	255 FPS
medium	257 FPS	235 FPS
high	213 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	227 FPS
medium	197 FPS	189 FPS
high	159 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	157 FPS
medium	136 FPS	133 FPS
high	106 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i9-12900HK Open Ryzen 7 8840HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
1080p
low	635 FPS	469 FPS
medium	539 FPS	388 FPS
high	458 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	301 FPS
1440p
low	549 FPS	410 FPS
medium	486 FPS	358 FPS
high	414 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	324 FPS	270 FPS
medium	291 FPS	247 FPS
high	277 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	243 FPS	202 FPS

Open Core i9-12900HK Open Ryzen 7 8840HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
1080p
low	638 FPS	629 FPS
medium	616 FPS	629 FPS
high	545 FPS	629 FPS
ultra	462 FPS	594 FPS
1440p
low	638 FPS	629 FPS
medium	554 FPS	622 FPS
high	485 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	498 FPS	521 FPS
medium	416 FPS	458 FPS
high	373 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	314 FPS	345 FPS

Open Core i9-12900HK Open Ryzen 7 8840HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
1080p
low	638 FPS	629 FPS
medium	638 FPS	629 FPS
high	638 FPS	629 FPS
ultra	604 FPS	629 FPS
1440p
low	638 FPS	629 FPS
medium	638 FPS	629 FPS
high	572 FPS	629 FPS
ultra	498 FPS	548 FPS
4K
low	525 FPS	559 FPS
medium	476 FPS	501 FPS
high	423 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	368 FPS	384 FPS

Open Core i9-12900HK Open Ryzen 7 8840HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-12900HK and Ryzen 7 8840HS

Core i9-12900HK

The Core i9-12900HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 25,512 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 8840HS

The Ryzen 7 8840HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 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): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 25,156 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-12900HK packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8840HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-12900HK has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-12900HK versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8840HS — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8840HS (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i9-12900HK uses the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 8840HS uses Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-12900HK scores 25,512 against the Ryzen 7 8840HS's 25,156 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i9-12900HK. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900HK vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8840HS.

Feature	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
Cores / Threads	14 / 20+75%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.1 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)+50%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Alder Lake-H (2022)	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)
PassMark	25,512+1%	25,156
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,197	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,938	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,317	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-12900HK uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 8840HS uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
Socket	FCBGA1744	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	28	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-12900HK) / not specified (Ryzen 7 8840HS). The Core i9-12900HK includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs)), while the Ryzen 7 8840HS requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-12900HK targets Enthusiast Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-12900HK rivals Ryzen 9 6900HX.

Feature	Core i9-12900HK	Ryzen 7 8840HS
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs)	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	—
Target Use	Enthusiast Gaming Laptop	—