Core i9-12900K vs Core i7-12700K

CPU Head-to-Head · FPS & Value Comparison

Core i9-12900K vs Core i7-12700K: Gaming Performance Comparison in 1080p Ultra

In gaming, the Core i9-12900K delivers approximately +4% higher frame rates compared to the Core i7-12700K in 1080p Ultra. For budget-conscious buyers, the Core i7-12700K currently offers +27.4% better value, available at a $82.01 price difference.

Core i9-12900K Advantages

Up to 4% faster in gaming benchmarks on average – 172 vs 165 FPS

More processing cores – 16 vs 12 cores

Core i7-12700K Advantages

Up to 27.4% better value for money – $1.52 vs $1.93/FPS

Costs only 75% of the price – $250 vs $332 (25% cheaper)

Performance Analytics

Average FPS across 21 games · all benchmarks use the same test suite

1080p Low

Full HD — min settings

AVG FPS
Core i9-12900K
172fps(100%)
Core i7-12700K
165fps(96%)
WinnerCore i9-12900K
+4% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (Core i7-12700K FPS ÷ Core i9-12900K FPS) × 100
Example: (165 ÷ 172) × 100 = 96%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((Core i9-12900K FPS - Core i7-12700K FPS) ÷ Core i7-12700K FPS) × 100
Example: ((172 - 165) ÷ 165) × 100 = 4%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If Core i7-12700K is only 96% as fast, then Core i9-12900K should be 4% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "4% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (96% of and 4% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

Efficiency Coefficient 1080p Ultra (Higher = Better Value)

Performance delivered per currency unit: FPS/$

Core i9-12900K
0.518 Value78% Efficiency
Core i7-12700K
0.660 Value100% Efficiency