Retailer photo of Intel Core i9-12900F. View this offer in Where to buy
Intel · CPU · Intel 12th
Intel Core i9-12900F
The current Intel Core i9-12900F price from retailers, its key specifications, and how it performs for each job.
Trade-offs: you want strong value with Balanced priorities specifically
- Cores / threads
- 16C / 24T
- Boost clock
- 5100 MHz
- Socket
- LGA 1700
- TDP
- 202 W
- Memory support
- DDR5, DDR4
Move a slider and the page re-scores this product against the same market frame.
What does it cost today, and is that a good price?
Market confidence: LowAt $497 the Intel Core i9-12900F is priced in line with its $497 representative market level. Only one retailer currently backs that price, so the level is a single data point rather than a market.
Limited market: only one retailer currently has a verified offer, so treat this price as a single data point.
Prices & availability
Intel Core i9-12900F: current price and offers
Compare the offers we track for this model, across variants and retailers.
1 tracked offers · 1 retailers
| Variant | Store | Condition | Price (snapshot) | Value · Balanced | Checked | Offer link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i9-12900F | Newegg | New | $497 | 36 | 2026-10-17 | View offer → |
| Intel Core i9-12900FMultiple variants available | Amazon Affiliate | Varies | Find on Amazon | Not tracked | No price snapshot | Find on Amazon → |
Prices are dated snapshots, not live quotes — confirm the final price at the store. New, refurbished and used offers are listed separately; used offers carry warranty and seller risk.
Performance and where it ranks
Two different questions, side by side. Performance compares what the hardware can do; Value compares what that capability costs at today’s price. A product can rank high on one and low on the other — that gap is the point.
Performance Balanced
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#71 of 264 graded processors
- #68 IntelIntel Core i5-13600K 22
- #69 IntelIntel Core i5-13600KF 22
- #70 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 9700X 22
- #71 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 21
- #72 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700X 21
- #73 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700 20
- #74 AMDRyzen 7 7800X3D 20
Value Balanced
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#134 of 264 currently priced processors
- #131 IntelIntel Core i5-10600 37
- #132 IntelIntel Core i7-6800K 37
- #133 IntelIntel Core i7-7800X 36
- #134 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 36
- #135 IntelIntel Core i5-12500 36
- #136 IntelIntel Core i5-6500T 36
- #137 IntelIntel Core i5-8600 36
Performance Gaming
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#75 of 264 graded processors
- #72 IntelIntel Core i9-12900K 67
- #73 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 7600X 67
- #74 IntelIntel Core Ultra 5 245K 67
- #75 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 67
- #76 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 8700G 67
- #77 IntelIntel Core i9-12900 67
- #78 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 8700F 67
Value Gaming
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#104 of 264 currently priced processors
- #101 IntelIntel Core i7-11700 45
- #102 IntelIntel Core i7-12700K 45
- #103 IntelIntel Core i5-11500 45
- #104 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 45
- #105 IntelIntel Core i9-12900KF 45
- #106 IntelIntel Core i9-12900 45
- #107 IntelIntel Core i9-11900F 45
Performance Productivity
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#71 of 264 graded processors
- #68 IntelIntel Core i5-13600K 22
- #69 IntelIntel Core i5-13600KF 22
- #70 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 9700X 22
- #71 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 21
- #72 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700X 21
- #73 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700 20
- #74 AMDRyzen 7 7800X3D 20
Value Productivity
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#75 of 264 currently priced processors
- #72 IntelIntel Core i5-13500 16
- #73 AMDRyzen 7 9800X3D 16
- #74 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700 16
- #75 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 16
- #76 IntelIntel Core i9-12900 15
- #77 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 8700G 14
- #78 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700X 14
Performance Performance per Watt
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#107 of 264 graded processors
- #104 IntelIntel Core i7-12700K 33
- #105 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 4500 33
- #106 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 4600G 33
- #107 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 32
- #108 IntelIntel Core i7-12700KF 32
- #109 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 2700 32
- #110 IntelIntel Core i7-13700F 32
Value Performance per Watt
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#106 of 264 currently priced processors
- #103 IntelIntel Celeron G6900 30
- #104 AMDAMD EPYC 4564P 30
- #105 IntelIntel Core i9-12900KS 30
- #106 IntelIntel Core i9-12900F 30
- #107 IntelIntel Core i7-11700F 30
- #108 IntelIntel Core i9-11900F 29
- #109 IntelIntel Core i7-13700K 29
These ladders follow the preset scenario shown above. Your own weights re-score this product, not the whole field.
What it is good for
| Scenario | this productCapability grade · Value at current price | Higher capability | Higher Value with current priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced (all-round)Weighted all-round view | GradeNo grade Value36 | Higher capability Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus 82 +92% capability · -34% price | Higher Value with current priorities Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus 100 +35% capability · -60% price |
| GamingScenario capability | GradeB Value45 | Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities Ryzen 7 9850X3D S 100 +50% capability · -3% price | |
| ProductivityScenario capability | GradeB Value16 | Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus S 54 +92% capability · -34% price | |
| Performance per WattScenario capability | GradeC Value30 | Higher capability AMD Ryzen 9 7900 S 93 +208% capability · -10% price | Higher Value with current priorities AMD Ryzen 7 9700X S 100 +136% capability · -50% price |
Balanced has no letter: it is a weighting preset, not a capability rubric. A grade answers “how well does this handle that job?” — price is never part of it. Relative Value puts the current market price back in.
Compare these grades with the full tier list
Browse shortlists for different uses
Trade-offs
Works well if
- Gaming is your main prioritygraded B for Gaming on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value with Balanced priorities specificallyat today's market no realistic price for this model reaches strong value with Balanced priorities — the calculation only gets there near $162, against a cheapest tracked $497
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelIntel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus holds Relative Value 100 against its 36 with Balanced priorities, at $200
- Performance per Watt is what you actually need it forit grades only C there
Works well if
- Gaming is your main prioritygraded B for Gaming on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for Gaming specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Gaming per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelRyzen 7 9850X3D holds Relative Value 100 against its 45 for Gaming, at $484
- Performance per Watt is what you actually need it forit grades only C there
Works well if
- Productivity is your main prioritygraded B for Productivity on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for Productivity specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Productivity per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelIntel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus holds Relative Value 54 against its 16 for Productivity, at $330
- Performance per Watt is what you actually need it forit grades only C there
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Performance per Watt is not actually your main job — Gaming isit grades C for Performance per Watt, but B for Gaming
Consider other options if
- Performance per Watt is what you actually need it forit grades C there; AMD Ryzen 9 7900 grades S at $446
- You want strong value for Performance per Watt specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Performance per Watt per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelAMD Ryzen 7 9700X holds Relative Value 100 against its 30 for Performance per Watt, at $250
Models that suit Performance per Watt better, at this budget
Every line states the fact it was derived from, for the scenario selected above. Thresholds are calculated points on our value curve — information about where the maths turns, not instructions about what to pay.
Similar options to the Intel Core i9-12900F
Chosen for Balanced
Chosen for Gaming
Chosen for Productivity
Chosen for Performance per Watt
Alternatives stay near this product’s price range. Step-up options may exceed the standard budget envelope when the capability gain is meaningful.
More head-to-head comparisons in this category
Upgrade planner
Judge the change in the active scenario, then make the cash gap explicit.
Using page scenarioWhat are you upgrading from? These are the axes we compare on, and where this product stands in the current market.
We rank upgrades by out-of-pocket cost — the new price minus what yours is worth — not by sticker price.
Only candidates that clear the configured meaningful-upgrade gate will be shown; roles are omitted rather than filled.
Capability differences are expressed as tiers and index points, not as benchmark percentages we did not measure.
Specifications and compatibility
What this product is, and what to check before it goes into your build.
Core / Performance
- Cores
- 16
- Threads
- 24
- Performance cores
- 8
- Efficiency cores
- 8
- Base clock
- 2400 MHz
- Boost clock
- 5100 MHz
Power / Interface
- TDP
- 202 W
- Maximum turbo power
- 202 W
- Socket
- LGA 1700
- Memory support
- DDR5, DDR4
- Maximum memory
- 128 GB
- Integrated graphics
- No
- Process node
- 10 nm
Show all specifications
Core / Performance
- L2 cache
- 14 MB
- L3 cache
- 30 MB
- Unlocked multiplier
- No
Warranty & release
- Warranty
- 3 years
- Release year
- 2022
Hover any value to see where it came from: a manufacturer specification, or a figure The Comparator calculated.
Sources: Comparator offer frame 2026-10-10–2026-10-17
What to check in your build
LGA 1700 required
Your motherboard must use socket LGA 1700. A different socket does not fit — this is a physical constraint, not a preference.
Board BIOS must list this model
A matching socket is necessary but not sufficient — check the vendor CPU support list.
DDR5, DDR4 memory
This processor takes DDR5, DDR4. Memory of another generation does not fit the slots, even on a board with the right socket.
Cooler rated for 202 W or more
No cooler is included. Your cooler must be rated for at least 202 W on socket LGA 1700.
Discrete GPU required
Found an error? Report this specification Email the field, corrected value and an optional source.
Compatibility guidance is practical help, not a score. Missing data is shown as unknown, never invented.
Summary
Intel Core i9-12900F offers a balanced view across an all-round mix of priorities. It ranks #71 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 1007. Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
Intel Core i9-12900F offers B-grade capability for Gaming. It ranks #75 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 1007. Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
Intel Core i9-12900F offers B-grade capability for Productivity. It ranks #71 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 1007. Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
Intel Core i9-12900F offers C-grade capability for Performance per Watt. It ranks #107 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 1007. The C grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
FAQ
Why does Relative Value change when I choose another scenario?
Each scenario changes the weights applied to capability, price and the other published factors. The hardware facts stay fixed, but the value question changes, so its score and rank can change too.
Why can Amazon appear without a tracked price?
Amazon is shown as a discovery link when we do not have a permitted verified price snapshot. It is excluded from price comparisons, rankings and Relative Value until a compliant tracked price exists.
Useful links & sources
offer frame 2026-10-10–2026-10-17 · formula cpu-value-v1.4 · facts facts-2026-10-17 · Relative Value is an estimate from our current dataset, the selected weights and dated market prices — not an official product rating and not a price forecast. Target prices are calculation thresholds, not predictions. Methodology We are not a shop. Affiliate links may earn us a commission; they never change the calculations or the ranking.