Intel i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

Intel i9-11900K is the 11th generation processor from the Intel i9 family of processors. And, Intel i9-12900K is the 12th generation processor from the family of i9 processors. In many ways, you could consider Intel i9-11900K as the best processor from Intel’s 11th generation processors. And, Intel i9-12900K can be termed as the best processor from the Intel i9 family in the 12th generation. We look at key differences between the Intel i9-11900K and Intel i9-12900K. What makes Intel i9-12900K faster, and better for an improved gaming experience? Both these processors fall in the desktop series of the Intel processors.

Intel i9-11900K vs Intel i9-12900K

We look at the key differences between the Intel i9-11900K and Intel i9-12900K processors. We look at the factors that make Intel i9-12900K a better processor.

Number of cores – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K CPU

One of the most significant differences between the Intel i9-11900K and Intel i9-12900K has to be in the number of cores. i9-11900K has 8 cores and the i9-12900K has a total of 16 cores, which include 8 performance cores and 8 efficient cores. Effectively, the i9-12900K has 16 cores in all.

Frequency- i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

Intel i9-11900K has a base frequency of 3.50 GHz. It supports Turbo boost and a maximum Turbo frequency of 5.30 GHz. Intel i9-12900K has a base frequency of performance cores at 3.20 GHz and efficient core base frequency of 2.40 GHz. Max Turbo frequency on Intel i9-12900K is 5.20 GHz.

Multithreading support – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

Both, i9-11900K and i9-12900K support hyperthreading. But, Intel i9-12900K has 24 threads and i9-11900K has 16 threads. Intel i9-12900K has a faster multithread performance than the i9-11900K as it affords a better multi-thread processing.

Cache – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

Intel i9-12900K has 30 MB smart cache and it has an L2 cache of 14 MB. i9-11900K has a 16 MB smart cache. Better cache improves processing speed and performance for a computer.

Memory or RAM – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

Both processors support a maximum RAM capacity of 128 GB. Intel i9-11900K supports DDR4-3200 RAM. i9-12900K supports DDR4-3200 and DDR4-4800 RAM types. Faster RAM throughput is possible on an Intel i9-12900K. Memory throughput or bandwidth on i9-11900K is 50 GBs and 76.8 GBs on i9-12900K processor.

Integrated Graphics – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

i9-11900K and i9-12900K support integrated graphics. i9-11900K supports Intel UHD 750 and the i9-12900K supports Intel UHD 770 graphics. Intel UHD 770 should add at least 10 fps in graphics performance over the Intel UHD 750. This is also pertinent because the Intel i9-12900K supports higher throughput through the RAM at 4800 MHz.

In terms of graphics frequency, the Intel i9-11900K has a base to a maximum frequency range between 350 MHz to 1.30 GHz. Intel i9-12900K has a graphics frequency range between 300 MHz to 1.55 GHz.

Intel i9-12900K supports up to 4 displays while the Intel i9-11900K can support up to 3 displays.

Motherboard sockets – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

i9-12900K supports FCLGA1700 socket and the i9-11900K supports FCLGA1200 socket. FCLGA1700 has 500 pins additional in comparison to the FCLGA1200 socket. The FCLGA1700 also supports PCIe 5 standards. The socket on i9-12900K is rectangular with a size of 45 mm x 37.5 mm. i9-11900K has a socket size of 37.5 mm x 37.5 mm.

Artificial Intelligence – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

i9-12900K has Intel® Gaussian & Neural Accelerator (Intel® GNA) version 3 driver. i9-11900K has Intel GNA version 2. Intel GNA driver offers integrated Artificial Intelligence support.

PCIe – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

i9-12900K supports PCIe 5 and 4, while the Intel i9-11900K supports PCIe 4. PCIe 5 can support data transfer speeds upto 32 GT/s and the PCIe 4 can work at speeds of 16 GT/s. PCIe 5 is twice faster than the PCIe in terms of data transfer rates from the GPUs, peripherals and the SSD drives. This is made possible due to a higher number of lanes that carry date from the GPUs, peripherals and SSD to the CPU on the motherboard. PCIe 5 is a significant booster of speed on the data transfer rates.

Intel i9-11900K and Intel i9-12900K are efficient processors in terms of a vastly improved gaming experience. i9-12900K ticks most boxes for an above average gaming experience. If you can couple these processors with an external graphics adapter to boost GPU speed, and processing.

Windows 11 compatibility – i9-11900K vs i9-12900K

Both processors, Intel i9-11900K and Intel i9-12900K are compatible with Windows 11 operating system. You could deploy Windows 11 as a clean install on your computer. Or, you could deploy Windows 10 on the computer. It would get automatically updated to Windows 11 through the Windows Update program on the computer.

Windows 11 update notification is a good starting point for updating Windows 10 to Windows 11 on a computer that is powered by either Intel i9-11900K or Intel i9-12900K processors.

Summary

Intel i9-12900K improves over the i9-11900K in terms of number of processor cores, better speed of the RAM and compliance to PCIe 5 standards for data transfer. Cache on the i9-12900K is more efficient.

You may also like to read the following content related to Intel processors and Windows 11:

• Intel i9 11th Generation Processors – 11900 Series
• Intel i9 12th Generation Processors
• Does Intel Core i7-7700HQ support Windows 11?
• Intel i7-7700T processors not compatible with Windows 11
• KB5008353 optional update for enhancing Windows 11 performance
• Add Gamebar performance on the Windows 11 taskbar