Intel Core i7-12700T vs Intel Core i9-9920X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a striking split between these two processors. The Intel Core i9-9920X dominates the Cinebench suite with six consecutive wins, while the Intel Core i7-12700T counters with two decisive victories in Geekbench. The pattern is consistent and revealing. Across all five Cinebench iterations, the i9-9920X holds a near-uniform advantage of roughly 16.8% to 16.9%. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i9-9920X scores 2121 against the i7-12700T’s 1815, a 16.9% lead. Single-core R15 shows 299 versus 256, a 16.8% margin. The R20 multicore test repeats the story: 8839 versus 7565, again 16.8%. R20 single-core is 1247 against 1067, a 16.9% gap. R23 multicore follows at 21046 versus 18012, 16.8%, and R23 single-core lands at 2971 versus 2542, 16.9%.

The consistency of these deltas is remarkable. Every Cinebench test, whether single-threaded or multi-threaded, produces nearly the same percentage gap. This suggests the i9-9920X’s advantage is structural rather than workload-specific. The data points to a processor that scales evenly across rendering tasks, regardless of thread count.

Geekbench flips the script entirely. In Geekbench multicore, the i7-12700T scores 11502 against 9422, an 18.1% advantage. The single-core test is even more lopsided: 2089 versus 1393, a 33.3% lead. These are not marginal differences. The i7-12700T is more than a third faster in Geekbench single-core, a massive gap that points to fundamentally different architectural efficiencies.

What explains this divergence? The i9-9920X wins every Cinebench test by the same margin, yet loses Geekbench badly. The i7-12700T, meanwhile, shows a split personality: behind in Cinebench by 16.8%, ahead in Geekbench multicore by 18.1%, and ahead in Geekbench single-core by 33.3%. The data suggests these processors excel in different computational environments, with the older Skylake design favoring Cinebench’s rendering workload while Alder Lake’s newer architecture dominates Geekbench’s mixed integer and floating-point tests.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark tests overall?

A: The Intel Core i9-9920X wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Intel Core i7-12700T wins only 2, both in Geekbench.

Q: How much faster is the i9-9920X in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The i9-9920X scores 21046 in Cinebench R23 multicore compared to the i7-12700T’s 18012, a 16.8% advantage.

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

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench single-core, where the i7-12700T leads by 33.3%. The i9-9920X’s largest wins are 16.9% margins in Cinebench R15 multicore, R20 single-core, and R23 single-core.

Q: Do both processors have the same number of cores?

A: Yes, both have 12 cores. However, the i9-9920X has 24 threads while the i7-12700T has 20 threads.

Q: How do these processors compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The i9-9920X has an average benchmark score of 5917, nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7451 at 5915. The i7-12700T averages 5606, close to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 at 5610, only 0.1% behind.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The i7-12700T has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, while the i9-9920X boosts to 4.50 GHz.

The Verdict

The data tells a clear story of workload-dependent superiority. The Intel Core i9-9920X is the choice for Cinebench-style rendering workloads. Its six consecutive wins, all at approximately 16.8% to 16.9% margins, demonstrate consistent dominance across every Cinebench version tested. Users who prioritize rendering performance should look at the i9-9920X based on these measurements alone.

The Intel Core i7-12700T is the winner in Geekbench, with an 18.1% multicore advantage and a 33.3% single-core advantage. These are substantial margins, particularly the single-core result, which is the largest delta in the entire comparison. For applications that resemble Geekbench’s mixed workload, the i7-12700T is the stronger performer.

Both processors sit at the 61st percentile among all CPUs in the database, an unusual coincidence given their architectural differences. Their average benchmark scores tell a similar story: the i9-9920X averages 5917, while the i7-12700T averages 5606, a modest 5.5% difference in favor of the older chip. Yet the distribution of those scores could not be more different. The i9-9920X wins by small margins in one benchmark family and loses by large margins in another. The i7-12700T loses by moderate margins in Cinebench but wins by decisive margins in Geekbench.

The production status is also relevant. The i9-9920X is end-of-life, while the i7-12700T is active. The i7-12700T also includes integrated graphics with UHD Graphics 770, a feature entirely absent from the i9-9920X. For systems that do not use a discrete graphics card, this makes the i7-12700T functional out of the box, whereas the i9-9920X requires a separate GPU.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge on nearly every specification except core count and manufacturer. Both are Intel parts with 12 cores, but the similarities end there. The i9-9920X supports 24 threads, while the i7-12700T supports 20. Base clocks differ dramatically: the i9-9920X runs at 3.50 GHz, while the i7-12700T has a base clock of 1400.00 MHz. Boost clocks are closer, with the i7-12700T reaching 4.70 GHz versus the i9-9920X’s 4.50 GHz.

Power envelopes are worlds apart. The i9-9920X has a TDP of 165 watts, while the i7-12700T draws only 35 watts. Socket compatibility is entirely different: the i9-9920X uses Intel Socket 2066, and the i7-12700T uses Intel Socket 1700. Memory support differs as well, with the i9-9920X supporting DDR4 only, while the i7-12700T supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The memory bus configuration also changes: the i9-9920X uses quad-channel memory with a bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, while the i7-12700T uses dual-channel memory with no bandwidth figure recorded in the database.

PCIe support shows a generational leap. The i9-9920X provides PCIe Gen 3 with 44 lanes, while the i7-12700T offers PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The i9-9920X has an unlocked multiplier, while the i7-12700T is locked. Integrated graphics are present only on the i7-12700T, with UHD Graphics 770. The i9-9920X has no integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is fundamental. The i9-9920X is built on Skylake-X, a 14 nm design from Intel’s X-Series 9th Generation. The i7-12700T uses Alder Lake-S, a 10 nm design from the Core 12th Generation. The process node shrink from 14 nm to 10 nm is a major factor in the power and efficiency differences observed. Die size reflects this: the i9-9920X measures 484 mm², while the i7-12700T is only 215 mm². Both are manufactured by Intel, but the newer process allows significantly more density.

Cache hierarchies differ at every level. The i9-9920X has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 19.25 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-12700T increases each tier: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3. The larger cache allocations on the i7-12700T likely contribute to its Geekbench single-core advantage, as more data can reside closer to the execution units.

The release timeline is also notable. The i9-9920X launched on 2018-10-18 with a launch MSRP of $1189. The i7-12700T has no recorded release date in the database and a launch MSRP of $339. The i9-9920X is marked end-of-life, while the i7-12700T is active production. The part numbers differ as well: the i9-9920X is SREZ6, and the i7-12700T is SRL4S.

Where Each One Wins

The i9-9920X wins exclusively in Cinebench workloads. Every Cinebench test, from R15 to R23, shows the same 16.8% to 16.9% advantage. This makes it the stronger choice for rendering tasks that follow the Cinebench pattern. The consistency of the margin across single-core and multicore tests suggests the advantage is tied to the Skylake-X execution pipeline rather than thread count. Its 24 threads, quad-channel memory, and 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth provide the foundation for this sustained lead. The unlocked multiplier also allows overclocking, which could extend its Cinebench advantage further, though the database does not include overclocked measurements.

The i7-12700T wins in Geekbench, and it wins big. The 33.3% single-core lead is the most decisive result in the entire comparison. The 18.1% multicore lead is also substantial. This processor is the clear choice for Geekbench-style workloads, which tend to reflect broader application performance including memory latency, branch prediction, and instruction-level parallelism. The newer Alder Lake architecture, larger L3 cache, and higher boost clock of 4.70 GHz all support this result. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 means the i7-12700T can power a system without a discrete GPU, which the i9-9920X cannot do. The 35 watt TDP also makes it viable for low-power or compact systems where the 165 watt i9-9920X would be impractical.

In practical terms, the choice hinges on the target workload. Rendering-heavy environments align with the i9-9920X. Mixed or general-purpose workloads align with the i7-12700T. The average benchmark scores place them within 5.5% of each other overall, but the distribution of wins tells users which tool fits which job. The i9-9920X is a specialized rendering performer approaching end-of-life. The i7-12700T is an active, efficient processor with a decisive edge in Geekbench and broad platform advantages in connectivity and integrated graphics.