Intel Core i9 12900KS vs 12900K

We pit the core i9 12900KS against its little brother, the 12900K, to see which one is better in terms of price, performance and specifications.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

When it comes to the 12900KS vs the 12900K, which is better? Intel has pretty much dominated the CPU market in terms of single-core performance, but with AMD hot on its heels for the last three years, Intel has got creative. 

Introducing the i9 12900KS, Intel’s answer to the 5800X3D. The 12900KS packs all the latest and greatest 12th gen technology into one very powerful CPU. But today, we’re going to examine whether the 12900KS is worth buying over the less expensive 12900K.  

Looking for the best Intel 12th gen motherboard? We have an article for that.

12900KS vs 12900k specifications 

When comparing two components it’s important to analyse the on-paper specifications of each component and compare them. This will give us a good understanding into how the two components will perform in relation to each other. 

i9-12900KS 

The i9-12900KS has been dubbed by Intel as ‘the fastest CPU in the world’ in its promotional material, but will this hold up? The 12900KS is the last 12th gen CPU to release, and with a $799 price tag does it pull its weight? 

The specifications of the 12900KS are as follows: 

i9-12900K

The i9 12900K was the old Intel flagship before the 12900KS, and with its incredible single-core performance it dominated the CPU market for well over a year. But how will it stack up against its bigger brother, the 12900KS? 

The specifications of the 12900K are as follows: 

12900KS vs 12900k specification comparison 

Here we will compare the specifications of each CPU and determine which one is better for specific workloads. This should help you make an informed decision when comparing any two types of components in the future. 

Core and thread count 

Cores and threads are not the same, but help the PC in very similar ways. Let’s take a deeper look at what cores and threads are, and the differences between them. 

Core count 

Both the 12900KS and the 12900K have the same number of cores. 

A CPU with more CPU cores will be better at multitasking natively, with a larger number of  cores at your CPUs disposal enabling it to handle more instructions simultaneously. Some older applications aren’t built with multi-core support in mind and it shows, compared to the latest software that takes full advantage of speedy multi-core support. 

A higher number of CPU cores becomes integral when crunching numbers and calculations in a high-end workload or specific instruction heavy workstation tasks, like rendering or advanced simulations/mathematics. The 12900KS and 12900k are the top CPUs Intel has to offer, and they suit many applications, if not all of them. 

Thread count 

Both the 12900KS and 12900K have the same thread count. 

Cores and threads are similar in the service they provide to the CPU, but not equal. Threads contribute to the overall performance of the CPU without physically existing. 

Threads refer to the CPUs multithreaded support. What this means is that the CPU’s cores are given the ability to process two instructions simultaneously as opposed to just one. The ‘thread’ is just the name given to the second instruction that a CPU can now perform alongside the primary. 

This increases the overall instruction output of the CPU, but not by double as you might expect. Threads don’t physically exist, meaning they have to share virtual resources pulled from the CPU core they’re allocated to. But there’s a twist, the physical CPU core always gets priority over the resources, so threads are slightly slower as a result. 

Threads are however integral to a CPU for multitasking purposes, they contribute to about 35% of the CPU’s performance. 

You can read more about multithreading in our ‘what is SMT article’ if you want to learn more.

Core speed 

The 12900KS has a much faster base and boost core speed than the 12900K. 

CPU core speeds are an important measurement to know, Core speed as a measurement determines the number of cycles your CPU can complete in one second. A ‘cycle’ consists of three main actions – fetch, decode and execute. It’s these three actions that fundamentally comprise CPU operation as we know it. 

A CPU with faster base and boost speeds will generally perform better if it’s part of the same generation and has the same/similar number of cores. The more instruction cycles completed per second, the better the CPU. 

There’s another measurement to be taken into account, and that is called all core speed. This is the same fundamentally as core speed, only this time it is the speed in which the CPU can sustain on all cores at the same time. This measurement is usually a little lower than the single-core boost speeds. 

Cache 

Both the 12900KS and 12900K have the same cache capacity. 

Cache essentially serves as an extension of a PC’s memory, built close to CPU cores to facilitate swift access speeds. Cache in modern-day CPUs consists of three levels that run in alphanumerical order from smallest to largest. The order is as follows: 

Level one cache is constructed closest to the CPU cores to allow for the fastest access speeds. This is where vital data and instructions that need to be accessed quickly is stored. 

Level two cache is a middle ground between one and three, with median capacity and median access speeds. This is reserved for less vital data but you still want your CPU to have swift access to it. 

Level three cache is large and slow, reserved for programs you may run on your PC often. Although we describe level three cache as slow, it’s still much faster than accessing information from your system’s RAM

More cache is generally better, it allows the CPU to store more frequented instructions allowing much faster access and execution speeds for programs you use the most.

TDP

The i9 12900K has a lower TDP of 125W. 

TDP stands for thermal design power and is the maximum amount of thermal energy a component can output at any given time, under normal manufacturer defined conditions. Usually, a component with a higher TDP would indicate a more powerful CPU but it’s not always that obvious. 

TDP and thermals in general are your enemies and should be negated as much as possible. Make sure when shopping for a new CPU that you have a CPU cooler that can handle dissipating the wattage of the CPU.

This is especially true if you plan on overclocking your CPU, and both of the CPUs on our list are capable of overclocking. It’s a good practice to get a CPU cooler that exceeds the thermal output of the CPU, to leave enough headroom to allow for overclocking. Overclocking increases TDP exponentially due to the presence of higher voltage and increased demand. 

Socket 

Both of the CPUs on our list belong to the same socket, the LGA 1700 socket.

The CPU socket can be likened to a theoretical shape, only a CPU with the same socket type will fit into that socket. You need to make sure that the motherboard you have or are going to buy matches the socket the CPU is built for. 

Integrated graphics

Both CPUs have the same integrated graphics. 

Intel UHD 770 graphics chips are the iGPUs in both the 12900KS and the 12900K. As with any integrated graphics, they’re ‘okay’ but can be beaten by some pretty basic dedicated GPUs. 

iGPUs are fantastic when trying to adhere to a strict budget, but if you’re looking at the latest Intel 12th generation processors then you’re probably not on a tight budget after all. 

The Intel UHD 770 specifications are as follows: 

12900KS vs 12900K: Benchmarks 

We’ll populate this when we get a 12900KS for ourselves. All deductions so far are based on third-party data. 

12900KS vs 12900K: Price 

The 12900K is the cheaper of the two CPUs.

The Intel Core i9-12900K can be had for around $600 online with a cost per core of around $37.5. The i9-12900KS has a huge price tag of $799, with a cost per core of around $50. 

Is the 12900KS worth an extra $200 for a 5% performance increase? 

Conclusion

The i9-12900K takes the win here for us. Despite having a lower base and boost speed it’s basically identical to the 12900KS. The 12900KS only performs about 5% better than the 12900K and gets much hotter. The 12900K already didn’t have a lot of thermal headroom due to inefficiencies of the IHS, and the 12900KS has only exaggerated the issue. 

If you’re looking to upgrade, then the 12900K is the better choice for price and value for money, but if that extra 5% performance uplift is worth the dramatic increase in thermals and an extra $200, then this is the CPU for you. 

Not to say that the 12900KS is a bad CPU, it’s just not the choice we would make given the two CPUs. 

Both CPUs are incredibly well-tailored to high-end CPU intensive workloads and will serve any workstation or extreme gaming rig perfectly. But if you want to save a buck and stop your cooler from literally losing its cool, it’s the 12900K you’re after. 

We hope our 12900KS vs 12900k article helped you make your decision, feel free to comment below your thoughts.