EPYC 9654P
VS
Core i7-12700K

EPYC 9654P vs Core i7-12700K

AMD

EPYC 9654P

96 Cores192 Thrd360 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2022
VS
Intel

Core i7-12700K

12 Cores20 Thrd125 WWMax: 5 GHz2021

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 9654P

#459
Xeon Platinum 8568Y+
MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497
112%
#460
Xeon Gold 6242R
MSRP: $2977|Avg: $779
111%
#460
Xeon E5-2686 V3
MSRP: $1500|Avg: $160
111%
#462
Xeon W-2175
MSRP: $1947|Avg: $180
110%
#463
EPYC 75F3
MSRP: $5383|Avg: $2799
109%
#464
Xeon W-3375
MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000
109%
#466
Xeon Platinum 8358
MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145
108%
#467
EPYC 7713
MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299
107%
#467
EPYC 7662
MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266
107%
#469
EPYC 9554
MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795
105%
#470
Xeon Gold 6338T
MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795
104%
#471
Xeon E5-2650 v4
MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45
104%
#472
EPYC 9845
MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670
103%
#473
EPYC 7F32
MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179
101%
#474
EPYC 9654P
MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345
100%
#475
EPYC 9965
MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000
99%
#476
EPYC 9745
MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588
98%
#477
EPYC 7J13
MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150
98%
#478
EPYC 7702
MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035
98%
#479
EPYC 7763
MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513
98%
#480
EPYC 9734
MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598
97%
#481
Xeon Platinum 8160M
MSRP: $5000|Avg: $350
97%
#482
Xeon 6724P
MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622
96%
#483
EPYC 9634
MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949
96%
#484
EPYC 7773X
MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800
95%
#485
Xeon Gold 6258R
MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400
94%
#486
EPYC 9175F
MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703
93%
#488
EPYC 9534
MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999
92%
#489
EPYC 9654
MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345
92%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-12700K

#113
Core i7-14700F
MSRP: $359|Avg: $330
104%
#114
Ryzen 3 PRO 3200G
MSRP: $89|Avg: $52
104%
#115
Core i9-14900K
MSRP: $589|Avg: $469
104%
#116
Ryzen 5 PRO 5655GE
MSRP: $146|Avg: $146
103%
#117
Core i7-13790F
MSRP: $392|Avg: $350
103%
#118
Core i5-14500
MSRP: $239|Avg: $251
103%
#119
Core i5-11600KF
MSRP: $237|Avg: $157
103%
#120
Ryzen 5 5600XT
MSRP: $192|Avg: $180
103%
#121
Core i5-13600
MSRP: $255|Avg: $255
102%
#122
Core i3-13100F
MSRP: $109|Avg: $119
102%
#123
Ryzen 5 5600G
MSRP: $259|Avg: $160
102%
#124
Core Ultra 9 285K
MSRP: $589|Avg: $550
102%
#125
Core i5-13400E
MSRP: $221|Avg: $221
101%
#126
Ryzen 7 8700F
MSRP: $270|Avg: $257
101%
#127
Core i9-14900KF
MSRP: $564|Avg: $480
101%
#128
Core i7-12700K
MSRP: $409|Avg: $285
100%
#129
Core i9-13900KF
MSRP: $599|Avg: $480
100%
#130
Core i7-12700
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
100%
#131
Core Ultra 5 245T
MSRP: $270|Avg: $270
100%
#132
Core i5-8500
MSRP: $192|Avg: $80
99%
#133
Core i5-9400F
MSRP: $182|Avg: $80
98%
#134
Core i5-11400
MSRP: $182|Avg: $141
98%
#135
Core i5-13600K
MSRP: $329|Avg: $319
98%
#136
Core i5-13500
MSRP: $242|Avg: $264
98%
#137
Ryzen 7 8700G
MSRP: $329|Avg: $269
98%
#138
Core i7-14700
MSRP: $384|Avg: $348
98%
#139
Ryzen 5 2500X
MSRP: $159|Avg: $80
97%
#140
Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
97%
#141
Core i9-13900K
MSRP: $599|Avg: $500
97%
#142
Core i3-14100
MSRP: $134|Avg: $131
96%
#143
Ryzen 5 3400G
MSRP: $149|Avg: $80
95%
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 ($5,345) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The EPYC 9654P is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightEPYC 9654PCore i7-12700K
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($5,345)
More affordable ($285)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Genoa (2022−2023) / 5 nm, 6 nm)
✨ Modern (Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-12700K ($285), 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 ($5,060 less, 95% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightEPYC 9654PCore i7-12700K
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+454%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($5,345)
More affordable ($285)

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 9654P and Core i7-12700K

AMD

EPYC 9654P

The EPYC 9654P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 96 cores and 192 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 384 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 360 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 116,324 points. Launch price was $10,625.

Intel

Core i7-12700K

The Core i7-12700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture. It features 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,347 points. Launch price was $409.

Processing Power

The EPYC 9654P packs 96 cores / 192 threads, while the Core i7-12700K offers 12 cores / 20 threads — the EPYC 9654P has 84 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9654P versus 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K — a 29.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700K (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The EPYC 9654P uses the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Core i7-12700K uses Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 9654P scores 116,324 against the Core i7-12700K's 34,347 — a 108.8% lead for the EPYC 9654P. L3 cache: 384 MB (total) on the EPYC 9654P vs 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K.

FeatureEPYC 9654PCore i7-12700K
Cores / Threads
96 / 192+700%
12 / 20
Boost Clock
3.7 GHz
5 GHz+35%
Base Clock
2.4 GHz
3.6 GHz+50%
L3 Cache
384 MB (total)+1436%
25 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)
1.25 MB (per core)+25%
Process
5 nm, 6 nm-50%
10 nm
Architecture
Genoa (2022−2023)
Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
PassMark
116,324+239%
34,347
Geekbench 6 Single
2,025
Geekbench 6 Multi
23,214
🧠

Memory & Platform

The EPYC 9654P uses the SP5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-12700K uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 on the EPYC 9654P versus 4800 on the Core i7-12700K — the Core i7-12700K supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-12700K supports up to 128 of RAM compared to 6 TB 182.1% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 12 (EPYC 9654P) vs 2 (Core i7-12700K). PCIe lanes: 128 (EPYC 9654P) vs 20 (Core i7-12700K) — the EPYC 9654P offers 108 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SP5 (EPYC 9654P) and Z690,B660 (Core i7-12700K).

FeatureEPYC 9654PCore i7-12700K
Socket
SP5
LGA1700
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0
PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR5-4800
4800+95900%
Max RAM Capacity
6 TB+5033164700%
128
RAM Channels
12+500%
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
128+540%
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V, SEV-SNP (EPYC 9654P) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700K). The Core i7-12700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the EPYC 9654P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: EPYC 9654P targets Data Center / Single Socket. Direct competitor: EPYC 9654P rivals Xeon 8490H; Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X.

FeatureEPYC 9654PCore i7-12700K
Integrated GPU
No
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V, SEV-SNP
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Data Center / Single Socket
💰

Value Analysis

The EPYC 9654P launched at $10625 MSRP, while the Core i7-12700K debuted at $409. At current prices ($5345 vs $285), the Core i7-12700K is $5060 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the EPYC 9654P delivers 21.8 pts/$ vs 120.5 pts/$ for the Core i7-12700K — making the Core i7-12700K the 138.8% better value option.

FeatureEPYC 9654PCore i7-12700K
MSRP
$10625
$409-96%
Avg Price (30d)
$5345
$285-95%
Performance per Dollar
21.8
120.5+453%
Release Date
2022
2021