EPYC 7272
VS
Core i9-12900HK

EPYC 7272 vs Core i9-12900HK

AMD

EPYC 7272

12 Cores24 Thrd120 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2019
VS
Intel

Core i9-12900HK

14 Cores20 Thrd45 WWMax: 5 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 EPYC 7272

#60
Xeon Platinum 8571N
MSRP: $599|Avg: $418
136%
#61
Xeon Platinum 8270
MSRP: $7405|Avg: N/A
136%
#62
EPYC 4464P
MSRP: $429|Avg: $450
131%
#63
EPYC 4345P
MSRP: $329|Avg: $329
130%
#64
EPYC 4344P
MSRP: $329|Avg: $314
128%
#65
EPYC 4364P
MSRP: $399|Avg: $334
122%
#66
EPYC 4585PX
MSRP: $699|Avg: $826
120%
#67
EPYC 4545P
MSRP: $549|Avg: $595
118%
#71
Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
MSRP: $400|Avg: $343
104%
#73
EPYC 4484PX
MSRP: $599|Avg: $599
101%
#75
EPYC 7272
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#86
Xeon Platinum 8260
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
92%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-12900HK

#73
Core i9-13950HX
MSRP: $590|Avg: $199
109%
#82
Core i7-11700B
MSRP: $323|Avg: $311
105%
#83
Core i7-13700HX
MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A
104%
#86
Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
103%
#88
Core i9-12900HK
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#96
Ryzen AI Max PRO 380
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
96%
#97
Core Ultra 5 226V
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
96%
#101
Core i5-1350P
MSRP: $320|Avg: $250
92%
#102
Core i3-1220P
MSRP: $250|Avg: $150
91%
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The EPYC 7272 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightEPYC 7272Core i9-12900HK
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Zen 2 (2017−2020) / 7 nm, 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Alder Lake-H (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-12900HK ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightEPYC 7272Core i9-12900HK
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 7272 and Core i9-12900HK

AMD

EPYC 7272

The EPYC 7272 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 25,161 points. Launch price was $625.

Intel

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.

Processing Power

The EPYC 7272 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i9-12900HK offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-12900HK has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the EPYC 7272 versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-12900HK — a 43.9% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900HK (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The EPYC 7272 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (7 nm, 14 nm), while the Core i9-12900HK uses Alder Lake-H (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 7272 scores 25,161 against the Core i9-12900HK's 25,512 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i9-12900HK. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 7272 vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900HK.

FeatureEPYC 7272Core i9-12900HK
Cores / Threads
12 / 24
14 / 20+17%
Boost Clock
3.2 GHz
5 GHz+56%
Base Clock
2.9 GHz+16%
2.5 GHz
L3 Cache
32 MB (total)+33%
24 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)
1.25 MB (per core)+150%
Process
7 nm, 14 nm
Intel 7 nm
Architecture
Zen 2 (2017−2020)
Alder Lake-H (2022)
PassMark
25,161
25,512+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi
18,197
Geekbench 6 Single
1,938
Geekbench 6 Multi
13,317
🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 7272 uses the SP3 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i9-12900HK uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureEPYC 7272Core i9-12900HK
Socket
SP3
FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0
PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed
DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
28
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (EPYC 7272) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i9-12900HK). The Core i9-12900HK includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs)), while the EPYC 7272 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-12900HK targets Enthusiast Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-12900HK rivals Ryzen 9 6900HX.

FeatureEPYC 7272Core i9-12900HK
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