Core i9-12900KF vs Xeon Platinum 8260
Aggregate performance score
i9-12900KF outperforms Xeon Platinum 8260 by a substantial 36% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 266 | 164 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 5.12 | 57.93 |
| Market segment | Server | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Xeon Platinum | Intel Core i9 |
| Architecture codename | Cascade Lake-SP (2019) | Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) |
| Release date | 2 April 2019 (5 years ago) | 27 October 2021 (2 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $4,702 | $564 |
| Current price | $4488 (1x MSRP) | $369 (0.7x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i9-12900KF has 1031% better value for money than Xeon Platinum 8260.
Detailed specifications
Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 24 (Tetracosa-Core) | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) |
| Threads | 48 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | 2.4 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2.4 GHz | 5.1 GHz |
| Bus support | no data | 8 × 16 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 1.5 MB | 768 KB |
| L2 cache | 24 MB | 4 MB |
| L3 cache | 35.75 MB (shared) | 6 MB |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | Intel 7 nm |
| Die size | no data | 215.25 mm220.5 mm × 10.5 mm |
| Maximum core temperature | 90 °C | no data |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 8,000 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | + | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | Yes |
Compatibility
Information on Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 8 (Multiprocessor) | 1 |
| Socket | 3647 | 1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 165 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| TSX | + | no data |
Security technologies
Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 1 TiB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | 6 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 140.8 GB/s | 76.805 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | + | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF.
| PCIe version | no data | 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 48 | 20 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Core i9-12900KF outperforms Xeon Platinum 8260 by 36% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Core i9-12900KF outperforms Xeon Platinum 8260 by 36% in Passmark.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 19.62 | 26.60 |
| Recency | 2 April 2019 | 27 October 2021 |
| Physical cores | 24 | 16 |
| Threads | 48 | 24 |
| Cost | $4702 | $564 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 165 Watt | 125 Watt |
Xeon Platinum 8260 has 50% more physical cores and 100% more threads.
i9-12900KF, on the other hand, has a 35.6% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 2 years, its recommended price lower by $4138, and 32% lower power consumption.
The Core i9-12900KF is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon Platinum 8260 in performance tests.
Be aware that Xeon Platinum 8260 is a server/workstation processor while Core i9-12900KF is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon Platinum 8260 and Core i9-12900KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
