Ultra 5 238V vs i9-12900K

Place in the ranking	191	526
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	37.30	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i9	no data
Power efficiency	19.75	78.16
Architecture codename	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Lunar Lake (2024)
Release date	27 October 2021 (3 years ago)	24 September 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$589	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V 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	16 (Hexadeca-Core)	8 (Octa-Core)
Threads	24	8
Base clock speed	3.2 GHz	2.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	5.2 GHz	4.7 GHz
Bus type	DMI 4.0	no data
Bus rate	8 × 16 GT/s	37 MHz
Multiplier	32	no data
L1 cache	768 KB	192 KB (per core)
L2 cache	4 MB	2.5 MB (per core)
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	10 nm	3 nm
Die size	215.25 mm²"	no data
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V 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	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCBGA2833
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	17 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
SIPP	+	-
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	-
Deep Learning Boost	+	+
Supported AI Software Frameworks	-	OpenVINO™, WindowsML, DirectML, ONNX RT, WebNN

Security technologies

Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
OS Guard	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4, DDR5	DDR5
Maximum memory size	128 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	76.805 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel UHD Graphics 770	Intel Arc Graphics 130V
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.55 GHz	1.85 GHz
Execution Units	32	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz	4096 x 2304 @ 60Hz (HDMI 2.1 TMDS) 7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz (HDMI2.1 FRL)
Max resolution over eDP	5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz	3840x2400 @ 120Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz	7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	12.2
OpenGL	4.5	4.6

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V.

PCIe version	5.0 and 4.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	20	4
PCI support	no data	5.0 and 4.0

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	26.09	14.04
Integrated graphics card	6.16	11.61
Recency	27 October 2021	24 September 2024
Physical cores	16	8
Threads	24	8
Chip lithography	10 nm	3 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	125 Watt	17 Watt

i9-12900K has a 85.8% higher aggregate performance score, and 100% more physical cores and 200% more threads.

Ultra 5 238V, on the other hand, has 88.5% faster integrated GPU, an age advantage of 2 years, a 233.3% more advanced lithography process, and 635.3% lower power consumption.

The Core i9-12900K is our recommended choice as it beats the Core Ultra 5 238V in performance tests.

Note that Core i9-12900K is a desktop processor while Core Ultra 5 238V is a notebook one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-12900K and Core Ultra 5 238V, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.