AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS vs Intel Core i9-12900KF Comparison

The Intel Core i9-12900KF and AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS occupy different corners of the hardware spectrum, yet both land in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. On average benchmark score, the Intel part leads with 42,830 against 41,963 for the AMD, a gap that widens dramatically in specific workloads. The head-to-head benchmark data shows a clean sweep: the i9-12900KF wins all 17 recorded tests, with zero wins for the Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS. The margins are not uniform, though, ranging from a modest 5.7% advantage in single-threaded PassMark to a crushing 66.3% lead in floating-point math. The two chips are close in overall percentile ranking, but their performance profiles diverge sharply on almost every measurable axis.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result in the comparison is in PassMark floating-point math, where the Intel Core i9-12900KF scores 105,558 against the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS’s 63,490, a delta of 66.3%. This suggests the Intel chip’s compute resources are substantially better suited to heavy numerical workloads. A similar trend appears in PassMark find prime numbers, where Intel posts 142 versus AMD’s 91, a 56% advantage, indicating a significant edge in integer-heavy algorithmic tasks. PassMark data compression also favors Intel heavily, with a score of 537,785 compared to 368,884, a 45.8% lead that points to stronger throughput in archival and data-processing scenarios.

The Cinebench suite shows a consistent pattern across all three versions tested. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the i9-12900KF reaches 34,420 while the Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS scores 25,165, a 36.8% gap. The same delta holds for Cinebench R20 multicore (14,456 versus 10,569) and Cinebench R15 multicore (3,469 versus 2,536), all at exactly 36.8%. Single-core results in Cinebench R23 follow suit: Intel’s 4,859 beats AMD’s 3,552, again by 36.8%. This uniformity across the Cinebench lineage suggests the performance difference is structural rather than workload-specific.

PassMark multithread shows Intel at 40,970 versus 30,378 for AMD, a 34.9% lead, while PassMark integer math delivers 138,932 against 103,390, a 34.4% margin. PassMark data encryption is closer but still firmly in Intel’s favor: 29,502 versus 21,820, a 35.2% difference. The smallest wins for Intel come in the single-threaded PassMark tests, where the i9-12900KF scores 4,144 against the Ryzen’s 3,920, a 5.7% edge. That narrow margin indicates that per-core efficiency is far more balanced between the two, even though the Intel part still takes the lead.

Where Each One Wins

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i9-12900KF wins every benchmark in the comparison, so the analysis must focus on where the Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS comes closest to closing the gap. The strongest relative performance for the AMD chip is in PassMark single-threaded tests, where it trails by only 5.7%. This means that for lightly threaded applications, such as basic office tasks or legacy software that relies on a single core, the Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS is nearly competitive. The Intel part still wins, but the margin is small enough that day-to-day responsiveness differences would be difficult to perceive.

Beyond that single-threaded result, the Ryzen’s best showings are in PassMark extended instructions (21.9% behind) and PassMark random string sorting (28% behind). These are still decisive Intel victories, but they represent the closest margins outside of single-core work. For any workload that scales across multiple cores, the Intel i9-12900KF pulls away decisively. The 36.8% Cinebench multicore deltas and the 34.9% PassMark multithread gap show that multi-threaded rendering, video encoding, and simulation tasks will run considerably faster on the Intel chip. The Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS does not win any category, but its single-threaded near-parity and lower power envelope make it a reasonable choice for mobile systems where sustained multicore performance is secondary.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different designs. The Intel Core i9-12900KF uses the Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm process from Intel, with 16 cores and 24 threads. It features a hybrid layout typical of Alder Lake-S, with a die size of 215 mm² and a TDP of 125 watts. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS is based on Zen 4 in the Hawk Point codename, fabricated by TSMC on a 4 nm node. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, a die size of 178 mm², and a TDP of just 45 watts. The transistor count also differs sharply: the AMD chip integrates 25,000 million transistors, while the Intel part’s count is not listed in the data.

Cache hierarchies are notably different. The Intel processor provides 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. The AMD chip offers 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The larger shared L3 on the Intel part likely contributes to its strong performance in data compression and random string sorting. Memory support also diverges: Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while AMD supports only DDR5. The AMD part has a listed memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, a figure not provided for Intel. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

The socket and market positioning are entirely separate. Intel uses Socket 1700 and is a desktop part, while AMD uses Socket FP7 and is a mobile processor. The AMD chip includes integrated Radeon 780M graphics, whereas the Intel i9-12900KF has no integrated graphics listed. The Intel part has an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD chip is locked. The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS supports ECC memory, which the Intel part does not. Both offer PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. The Intel part launched on 2021-11-03 with a launch MSRP of $564, while the AMD chip released on 2024-04-15 with no MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900KF has an average benchmark score of 42,830, compared to 41,963 for the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS.

Q: How much faster is the Intel chip in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900KF scores 34,420 in Cinebench R23 multicore, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS scores 25,165, giving Intel a 36.8% advantage.

Q: What is the smallest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The smallest gap is in the PassMark single-threaded tests, where the Intel Core i9-12900KF scores 4,144 versus 3,920 for the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS, a 5.7% lead for Intel.

Q: Do both processors use the same manufacturing process?

A: No. The Intel Core i9-12900KF is built on a 10 nm process by Intel, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS uses a 4 nm process from TSMC.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core i9-12900KF has 16 cores and 24 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Does the AMD processor include integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS includes Radeon 780M integrated graphics. The Intel Core i9-12900KF has no integrated graphics listed.

The Verdict

The benchmark data leaves no room for ambiguity: the Intel Core i9-12900KF is the faster processor in every recorded test. For users who prioritize raw compute performance, particularly in multi-threaded workloads like rendering, simulation, or data processing, the Intel part is the clear choice. Its 36.8% lead across all Cinebench multicore tests and its 66.3% margin in floating-point math demonstrate a decisive advantage that would translate directly into shorter completion times for demanding tasks. The 16 cores and 24 threads, combined with 30 MB of shared L3 cache, provide a structural foundation for this dominance.

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS, however, is not without merit. Its 45-watt TDP is dramatically lower than Intel’s 125 watts, making it suitable for mobile platforms where thermal and power constraints are paramount. The inclusion of Radeon 780M integrated graphics means it can power a display without a discrete GPU, which is impossible with the Intel i9-12900KF. The 5.7% single-threaded gap shows that for basic, lightly threaded tasks, the two chips are nearly interchangeable. The AMD part also supports ECC memory, a feature absent on the Intel chip.

The choice comes down to platform and workload. For a desktop system with unrestricted power delivery and a discrete GPU, the Intel Core i9-12900KF offers superior performance across the board, with its closest rival in this comparison trailing by at least 21.9% in every multi-threaded test. For a laptop or compact system where power efficiency and integrated graphics are essential, the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 8945HS provides respectable performance with a fraction of the power draw. Data shows the Intel part wins all 17 head-to-head tests, but the AMD part’s lower TDP and integrated graphics make it the only viable option for certain mobile use cases. The percentile ranking of both chips is identical at 88, yet the performance profiles are anything but equal.