The Intel Core i9-12900HX is a high-end mobile CPU for laptops based on the Alder Lake architecture. It was announced in mid 2022 and offers 8 performance cores (P-cores, Golden Cove architecture) and 8 efficient cores (E-cores, Gracemont architecture). The P-cores support Hyper-Threading leading to 24 supported threads when combined with the E-cores. The clock rate ranges from 2.3 to 5 GHz on the performance cluster and 1.7 to 3.6 GHz on the efficiency cluster. The performance of the E-cores should be similar to old Skylake cores. All cores can use up to 30 MB L3 cache. As a HX-variant, the CPU offers an open multiplicator and therefore the possibility to overclock the CPU cores. Compared to the similar i9-12950HX, the 12900HX does not offer vPro or ECC memory support.
Performance
The Intel Core i9-12900HX is one of the fastest mobile CPUs in the market. Thanks to the additional 2 performance cores and a higher TDP, the 12900HX should be clearly faster than the 12900HK in multithreaded workloads. Intel claims +17% single thread performance and +64% multi thread performance (SPECint_rate_base2017). In CrossMark, the 12900HX should be 33% faster.
Features
The integrated memory controller supports various memory types up to DDR5-4800 and DDR4-3200. The Thread Director (in hardware) can support the operating system to decide which thread to use on the performance or efficient cores for the best performance. For AI tasks, the CPU also integrates GNA 3.0 and DL Boost (via AVX2). Quick Sync in version 8 is the same as in the Rocket Lake CPUs and supports MPEG-2, AVC, VC-1 decode, JPEG, VP8 decode, VP9, HEVC, and AV1 decode in hardware. The CPU supports 48 PCIe lanes consisting of 16 Gen5 (x16 or 2x8), 20 Gen4 and 12 Gen3.
Integrated Graphics
The integrated graphics card is based on the Xe-architecture and offers 32 EUs (Execution Units) operating at up to 1.55 GHz.
Power Consumption and Manufacturing
The CPU is rated at 55 W base power (157 W PL2). The SoC is manufactured in a 10nm process at Intel, which is known as Intel 7.
Comparing with other Alder Lake-HX CPUs
The Intel Core i9-12900HX is part of the Alder Lake-HX series, which also includes the Intel Core i9-12950HX, Intel Core i7-12850HX, Intel Core i7-12800HX, Intel Core i7-12650HX, Intel Core i5-12600HX, and Intel Core i5-12450HX. The main difference between these CPUs is the number of cores and threads, clock rate, and L3 cache.
Conclusion
The Intel Core i9-12900HX is a powerful mobile CPU that offers high performance and a wide range of features. It is ideal for heavy workloads and demanding tasks such as video editing, gaming, and AI-based applications. With its open multiplicator, it also offers the possibility of overclocking the CPU cores for even higher performance. However, it should be noted that the 12900HX does not offer vPro or ECC memory support, which may be a limitation for some.
If you're in the market for a high-performance mobile CPU, the Intel Core i9-12900HX is definitely worth considering. We hope this article has provided you with a comprehensive overview of its features and performance. We would love to hear your thoughts on the i9-12900HX, so please feel free to share your comments and opinions using the hashtag #i912900HXreview.
