AMD Ryzen 7 3700X vs Intel Core i9-12900HX Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents a decisive outcome: the Intel Core i9-12900HX wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the database against the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. With 13 wins for Intel and zero for AMD, the verdict is unambiguous. The Intel part holds a commanding lead in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads, with the largest margin observed in floating-point math at 116.4% ahead. For users prioritizing raw compute throughput, particularly in floating-point-heavy scientific or rendering tasks, the Intel Core i9-12900HX is the clear choice from the data.

However, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X still occupies the 84th percentile among all CPUs, matching the Intel part's percentile ranking. This indicates that while it loses the head-to-head, it is not a weak processor in absolute terms. The Ryzen 7 3700X is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP and a lower core count, so for users constrained by a desktop platform with a lighter power envelope and who do not require the extreme performance of the mobile Intel flagship, the AMD part remains a viable, if slower, option based on the recorded metrics. The data shows a performance hierarchy, not a usability verdict; the Intel part is for those who need maximum performance, while the AMD part serves the desktop segment with adequate, though lower, scores.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial. The Intel Core i9-12900HX is built on Alder Lake-HX, a 10 nm process from Intel, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X uses Zen 2, codenamed Matisse, fabricated by TSMC on a 7 nm node. The Intel chip features a hybrid architecture with 16 cores and 24 threads, whereas the AMD chip is a traditional monolithic design with 8 cores and 16 threads. This core count difference drives many of the performance deltas.

Cache hierarchies also differ significantly. The Intel part allocates 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part uses 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of L3. The Intel L3 is shared, while the AMD L3 is presented without a shared designation. The Intel processor also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD chip is limited to DDR4. The AMD part has a stated memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s; the Intel part's bandwidth is not specified in the data.

Connectivity and platform features diverge as well. The Intel chip uses an Intel BGA 1964 socket, supporting PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU-only lanes, and includes integrated UHD Graphics 770. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket AM4, supports PCIe Gen 4 with 24 lanes, and has no integrated graphics. The Intel part has a larger die at 215 mm², while the AMD chip is much smaller at 74 mm², though the Intel die size likely reflects the integrated graphics and hybrid design. The AMD chip has a transistor count of 3,800 million, while the Intel transistor count is not recorded. The Intel part also supports ECC memory, while the AMD part does not, and both have unlocked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core score in Cinebench R15?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900HX scores 278, which is 36.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X's score of 204.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head results?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark floating-point math, where the Intel part scores 84,410 versus AMD's 39,005, a margin of 116.4%.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X win any benchmark against the Intel Core i9-12900HX?

A: No. The head-to-head benchmark table shows 13 wins for Intel and 0 wins for AMD across all recorded tests.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900HX has 16 cores and 24 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor supports DDR5 memory?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900HX supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X supports DDR4 only.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900HX has an average benchmark score of 35,003, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X records 34,260.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification field in the database. The Intel Core i9-12900HX is a mobile part with a 55 W TDP, whereas the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP. The Intel chip has a base clock of 2.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz; the AMD chip has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Although the AMD part has a higher base clock, the Intel part has a significantly higher boost clock.

The process nodes differ: Intel uses 10 nm, while AMD uses 7 nm from TSMC. The die sizes are 215 mm² for Intel and 74 mm² for AMD. The AMD chip has a recorded transistor count of 3,800 million, while the Intel chip's transistor count is null in the data. Cache configurations differ as noted above, with Intel using 80 KB L1, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3, while AMD uses 64 KB L1, 512 KB L2 per core, and 32 MB L3.

Memory support: Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5, AMD supports DDR4 only. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but only AMD has a specified bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. PCIe support differs: Intel is Gen 5 with 20 lanes, AMD is Gen 4 with 24 lanes. The Intel part includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the AMD part has none. ECC memory support is present on Intel, absent on AMD. The sockets are entirely different: Intel BGA 1964 versus AMD Socket AM4. The release dates also differ, with Intel launching in 2022-05-09 and AMD in 2019-07-06.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is exhaustive, and the Intel Core i9-12900HX dominates every recorded test. The most striking result is in PassMark floating-point math: Intel scores 84,410 against AMD's 39,005, a 116.4% advantage. This is more than double the AMD score and indicates a massive advantage in workloads that rely on FPU throughput, such as scientific computing and certain rendering tasks.

In integer math, the Intel part scores 113,416 versus AMD's 66,399, a 70.8% lead. This is a strong indicator for general-purpose computing, database operations, and code compilation. The PassMark multithread score shows Intel at 33,158 against AMD's 22,458, a 47.6% advantage, which aligns with the core count difference of 16 versus 8. The PassMark physics test shows Intel at 2,012 versus AMD's 1,181, a 70.4% lead, suggesting better performance in physics simulations and gaming-related physics calculations.

Single-thread performance is also decisively in Intel's favor. In Cinebench R15 single-core, Intel scores 278 versus AMD's 204, a 36.3% lead. The PassMark single-thread test shows Intel at 3,745 versus AMD's 2,656, a 41% advantage. This indicates that even in lightly-threaded tasks, the Intel chip has a substantial IPC and clock-speed advantage.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, Intel scores 3,566 versus AMD's 2,092, a 70.5% lead. This is consistent with the multithread PassMark results. Data compression also favors Intel: 400,636 versus 296,379, a 35.2% lead. Data encryption shows Intel at 22,932 versus AMD's 18,900, a 21.3% lead. Extended instructions, which test SIMD and AVX workloads, show Intel at 24,315 versus AMD's 19,241, a 26.4% lead. Prime number finding shows Intel at 132 versus AMD's 99, a 33.3% lead. Random string sorting shows Intel at 43,877 versus AMD's 32,131, a 36.6% lead.

The data shows no scenario where the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X outperforms the Intel Core i9-12900HX. Every delta is positive for Intel, ranging from 21.3% in data encryption to 116.4% in floating-point math. The Intel part's hybrid architecture, higher core count, and newer process node collectively deliver a comprehensive performance victory across all recorded workloads.