AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core i9-12900KS

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Ryzen 9 5950X compared with Core i9-12900KS
AMDRyzen 9 5950XIntelCore i9-12900KS
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2020April 2022
Cores and clocks
Cores1616 (8 performance, 8 efficiency)
Threads32 (better)24
Base clock3.4 GHz3.4 GHz
Boost clock4.9 GHz5.5 GHz (better)
L3 cache64 MB (better)30 MB
CoresZen 3; Vermeer.Alder Lake; 8 Performance-cores with Hyper-Threading and 8 Efficient-cores
ClocksUnlocked for overclocking; Precision Boost 2 and Precision Boost Overdrive described in AMD's launch notice.P-core base 3.4 GHz and turbo 5.2 GHz; E-core base 2.5 GHz and turbo 4 GHz; Turbo Boost Max 3.0 5.3 GHz; Thermal Velocity Boost up to 5.5 GHz
Cache8 MB L2; Zen 3's unified eight-core complex provides 32 MB of L3 cache per complex, as described in AMD's launch notice.14 MB L2 cache
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphicsNoYes
GraphicsA separate graphics card is required.Intel UHD Graphics 770; 32 execution units; 300 MHz base and 1.55 GHz maximum dynamic clock
Platform
SocketAM4LGA1700
Base power105 W150 W
Maximum power–241 W
UnlockedYesYes
Cooler in the boxNoNo
Memory supportDDR4; up to 3200 MT/s.Up to 128 GB; two channels; DDR5-4800 or DDR4-3200; ECC support depends on the motherboard and configuration
PCIePCIe 4.0.20 CPU lanes; PCIe 5.0 and 4.0
ChipsetsAMD's launch notice specifies 500-series motherboards with a BIOS update; check the motherboard CPU support list.Z690 with the latest BIOS; maker retail and OEM availability began on 5 April 2022, rather than the Q1 launch quarter listed in ARK
ProcessTSMC 7nm FinFET CPU cores.Intel 7
CoolerNo thermal solution included; AMD recommends liquid cooling for optimal performance. Maximum operating temperature 90°C.No cooler included, as explicitly reported by TechSpot and HotHardware; a separate cooler is required

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