The 12th-generation Intel chips are three years old, and many might think that the latest generation of Nvidia and AMD GPUs won’t pair well with them. However, these processors still pack a punch and can handle the power of these next-generation GPUs without causing major bottleneck issues.
On that note, we’ve selected a handful of GPUs based on their price, features, and the performance they showcased during our in-house testing. We test all our CPUs and GPUs in-house to have a better gauge of their real-world performance, which helps us recommend only the best options. If you’re interested in learning how we select and review products, we’ve got you covered.
- Best GPU for i9-12900K overall
Gigabyte RTX 4080 Super Windforce V2
- GPU: AD103
- CUDA Cores: 10,240
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 736.3 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2295 MHz
- Best AMD GPU for i9-12900K
Sapphire Radeon RX 7900 XT
- GPU: Navi 31
- Stream Processors: 5,376
- VRAM: 20GB GDDR6
- Memory bus: 320-bit
- Base clock speed: 1,387 MHz
- Game Clock speed: 2.2025 MHz
- Best Nvidia GPU for i9-12900K
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC Edition
- GPU: AD103
- CUDA Cores: 8,448
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 672.3 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2340 MHz
How we picked
We researched the market and found various options from Nvidia and AMD. We filtered those options based on their price, compatibility, performance, and other features, such as DLSS and FSR. On top of that, we also conduct rigorous in-house testing of the cards. This gives us insight into how they’ll perform, and we can help you pair them with various CPUs, including an i9-12900K. We’re always updating our list with the latest information, so if there are better pairings than these, we’ll be sure to update them, so check back with us.
Our top picks
- GPU: AD103
- CUDA Cores: 10,240
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 736.3 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2295 MHz
- Comparatively costs less than the RTX 4080
- Performs better than RTX 4080
- Excellent 1440p and 4K results
- Still costs more than $1,000
- Larger than the RTX 4090
- Requires a full tower case and powerful fans to keep it cool
If you’re looking for the best GPU for the i9-12900K, check out the RTX 4080 Super. You might be wondering why we’re recommending the latest generation of GPUs to pair with a three-year-old Intel chip. The answer is that despite being an older chipset, it packs enough power to handle the newer GPUs easily. During our RTX 4080 Super review, we ran Cyberpunk 2077, a graphically demanding title, and this card was able to deliver 51 FPS in native 4K, which is quite impressive.
The RTX 4080 Super is a powerful card and if you pair with a CPU that can’t keep up with its performance, it’ll hold it back. That said, this shouldn’t be the case with the 12900K as it is solid processor even today. At lower resolutions gaming performance is CPU dependent as the CPU has to churn out more instructions because the GPU can quickly process 1080p data. However, at higher resolution such as 4K, the GPU needs more time to process data which gives the CPU time to breathe and hence the gaming performance becomes GPU dependent. So, with this pairing, a CPU or GPU bottleneck shouldn’t occur at high levels but remember no system is 100% bottleneck free.
This GPU packs 10,240 CUDA cores under the hood, a whopping 512 more than the base model. It also has a base clock of 2.29 GHz and a boost clock of 2.55 GHz. While these aren’t that much faster than the base models, it’s important to remember that GPUs focus more on handling and processing large data in parallel rather than speed, and that is where the additional 512 CUDA cores shine. So this means that you should be able to play demanding games easily at the highest settings, but you might experience a bit of a bottleneck at lower resolutions.
On top of that, it has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 256-bit memory interface width. This is the same as the base model, but additional cores make all the difference. A higher-bit memory interface means a large amount of data can travel to and from the GPU without getting stuck in the pipeline. This means better efficiency and performance and a smoother gameplay experience.
The RTX 4080 Super effectively erases any reason to go out and buy the original RTX 4080 with slightly increased performance and a much more palatable price point.
PC Guide
Due to its 121 Teraflops of Ray Tracing cores, it should also deliver excellent ray tracing results. This means you should experience serene visuals in competitive and story-based games. That said, enabling RT does hit your FPS, and if you play competitive shooters, turning RT isn’t recommended.
According to Nvidia, you should be able to connect four independent monitors with this card at 4K 120 Hz. However, it might be difficult for the RTX 4080 Super to push a full 120 Hz across all monitors simultaneously. They also claim a maximum supported resolution of 4K 240 Hz and 8K 60 Hz. So, if you have a 4K monitor, you should be able to experience the full potential of this GPU.
Besides that, it has a 2.1a HDMI port and three 1.4a Display ports, which should be more than enough for a multi-monitor setup, whether you want it for productivity or a wide-screen alternative.
The RTX 4080 Super is 310mm in length, 140mm in height, and 61mm in height. These dimensions make it larger than the RTX 4090, which means you’ll need a big tower case to house it comfortably. That said, we’ve got you covered in that domain as well with our best case for RTX 4080 Super guide, which has the top picks available.
This GPU is also rated for an average power draw of 251W during gaming, with a total power draw of 320. These numbers shouldn’t be surprising, seeing the hardware it is packing, but this means that there should be a good amount of heat generated. So, to keep the temperature under control, it’s recommended that you upgrade your casing or PC fans, especially if the ambient temperature around you is high. So, if you’re interested in exploring potential upgrade options, our best 140mm case fans guide has you covered.
What users say
According to Amazon reviews, this is an excellent card that delivers what it promises. One reviewer said: “The Gigabyte 4080 super doesn’t disappoint! I have this in a Cooler Master NR200, and the cooling performance has been great. Fans have a good balanced profile and are not loud. Additionally I haven’t noticed any coil whine. The performance of this card meets expectations.”
- Bandwidth: 800 GB/sec
- TDP: 300 W
- Great performance at 1440p and 4K
- 20 GB of GDDR6 VRAM
- Enhanced performance with FSR3
- Not the best Ray Tracing results
- High average power draw
- GDDR6 is slower than GDDR6X
If you’re looking for the best AMD GPU for i9-12900K, consider pairing it with the RX 7900 XT for top-notch in-game performance. In our RX 7900 XT review, we found it performing exceptionally well at 1440p and 4K, and its price makes it better. We ran several titles, but the most notoriously demanding one was Cyberpunk 2077, and this card managed 62 and 119 FPS at native 4K and 1440p, respectively.
This GPU has 5,376 stream processors. This means that it should be more than capable of handling graphical tasks of varying intensities. It also has a game frequency of 2,000 MHz and a boost frequency of 2,400 MHz. So, you can always increase the frequency to squeeze out every bit of performance from this GPU.
The RX 7900 XT is made on the RDNA 3 architecture, which is roughly 20-30% more efficient than RDNA 2, meaning you should get better performance than the previous generation of AMD graphics cards.
It also has 80 MB of AMD Infinity Cache, which stores frequently accessed data. The cache is close to the core, so whenever data is needed, it can be retrieved from the cache instead of requesting the VRAM to fetch it. This reduces access times, which leads to increased performance and efficiency.
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT’s new price point and powerful performance put it firmly in competition with some of Nvidia’s best mid-range GPUs, and its large memory pool ensures it will be futureproofed for many years to come.
PC Guide
This graphics card houses 20 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 320-bit memory interface. This means that there should be more than enough VRAM to turn up the in-game settings without overloading the memory. In addition, the 320-bit interface should ensure smooth data transfer to and from the GPU.
The RX 7900 XT also packs many performance-enhancing features, such as AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution or FSR. According to AMD, you should see a performance boost from 87 FPS to 135 FPS in titles like Immortals of Aveum at 4K with FSR3 NativeAA mode and Frame Generation enabled by turning on FSR. So, even if a title is giving this GPU some trouble, which is unlikely, you always have software options to give it a boost.
Regarding connectivity options, it has two 2.1 Display ports, one 2.1 HDMI port, and one USB Type-C. This should be more than enough to cater to a multi-monitor setup or handle the high refresh rate output of your monitor. Furthermore, it has a maximum supported resolution of 3840×2160. So, if you have a 4K monitor, you should be able to experience the full capabilities of this GPU.
So, if you lean more toward Team Red and their GPUs, the RX 7900 XT is the best GPU for Intel Core i9-12900K.
What users say
According to Amazon reviews, this graphics card has great build quality, good software, and excellent performance. One reviewer had this to say: “The GPU can run anything at 1440p and even 4k at ease. Very fast. I had some issues figuring out AMD drivers and its software, but after learning, it is 10x better than nvidia’s GeForce experience.”
- GPU: AD103
- CUDA Cores: 8,448
- VRAM: 16GB GDDR6X
- Bandwidth: 672.3 GB/s
- Memory bus width: 256-bit
- Base clock speed: 2340 MHz
- Boost clock speed: 2670 MHz
- Sound card for 1440p and 4K in some titles
- Costs less than the RTX 4080
- Has dual BIOS functionality
- The same encoding performance as the RTX 4070
- Struggles at native 4K
- Power draw is only slightly lesser than the RTX 3070 Ti
If you’re looking for the best Nvidia GPU for i9-12900K, consider giving the RTX 4070 Ti Super a shot. We reviewed the RTX 4070 Ti Super and found that it had a great performance at 1440p and even managed to hold its own at 4K for the most part. The RTX 4080 Super churned out 51 FPS at 4K while this GPU managed 44 FPS at native 4K with Ultra settings, and they are in the same price category, giving the RTX 4070 Ti Super more value.
Let’s kick things off with some specifications. This GPU has 8,448 CUDA cores, 2,560 more than the base model and 768 more than the RTX 4070 Ti. This puts it at the top of the 4070 lineup of GPUs and enables it to cater to various professional and gaming tasks. Its boost clock is the same as the normal Ti model, but it has a 0.03 GHz faster base clock.
It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 256-bit memory interface width. This should be more than enough to ensure smooth performance without any disruptions or stuttering issues. The 256-bit memory interface should also ensure fast data travel for processing to and from the GPU.
Nvidia claims that the RTX 4070 Ti Super has a 4.1x performance increase compared to the RTX 3070 Ti in titles like Alan Wake 2 with DLSS and RT enabled. The gap between generations is great, and this GPU, paired with the Intel i9-12900K, should be a powerful match for tackling 1440p gaming with high or ultra presets head-on.
Ultimately, if you want a bit more edge than the original RTX 4070 Ti, better value, and higher framerates than a regular 4070 where smooth 4K gaming is far more feasible (and expected across many titles), then yes – the RTX 4070 Ti Super is worth it.
PC Guide
That said, this GPU’s power consumption isn’t much less than the previous generation, and you should expect a significant power draw during intense workloads or high-profile gaming. Besides that, it’s rated for a total graphics power of 285W. This means that you should also expect a good amount of heat generation. In order to keep your GPU from throttling and other components from heating as well, we recommend upgrading your fans or PC case.
That said, heat isn’t the only thing you need to look out for. You must also ensure that your PSU can handle the power draw of your entire setup, including your GPU. In either case, we’ve got you covered with our best PSU for RTX 4070 Ti Super and best case for RTX 4070 Ti Super guides.
It also has a handful of Nvidia technologies at its disposal, such as Nvidia Ansel, which lets you take and edit in-game screenshots. This is great if you’re a content creator looking for the next video thumbnail or comparison screenshots from before and after an update.
Overall, this GPU sits comfortably between the RTX 4080 and the rest of the 4070 lineup and is the best GPU for Core i9-12900K.
What users say
According to Amazon reviews, this card has excellent performance in gaming and work and can handle anything you throw at it. One reviewer stated: “If you get it for machine learning you will be very glad you did and have a card that is more than capable of cranking out professional production level product with efficiency, speed, power savings, economical, plug and play compatibility with every thing type of performance. you’re welcome.”
How to pick the best GPU for i9-12900K
Before investing in any GPU, there are a handful of factors that you need to keep in mind. These factors should help you avoid needless upgrades and filter your options until you have the best balance between performance and value. We’ve listed some of these factors below to help you make an informed decision.
Price
The first thing you need to consider is the price point at which different GPUs are coming. For example, a GPU costing over $1,000 could cost more than your entire build. That said, you could get it for “future-proofing” your setup, but with the Intel i9-12900K, the upgrade options end after the 14th generation, as the next generation will have a different socket.
So, it’s better to look for a GPU that complements the computational prowess of the Intel Core i9-12900K while keeping the cost under control and not going for an overkill option. This will also help save money that you can use to upgrade other components such as the RAM, SSD, or even your CPU to a more powerful chip like the Intel Core i9-13900K, which we also have a hands-on review of.
GPU size
An important aspect to consider is the GPU size and your casing. If your casing doesn’t have adequate space to house the card properly, you will have to spend extra money upgrading your case. On the other hand, if you do manage to fit it inside the casing, the airflow might not be great due to everything being cramped up. This will most likely lead to overheating, and you’ll need to invest in bigger and more powerful fans to keep things cool.
So, visit the manufacturer’s or third-party distributor’s website, look at the dimensions, and measure the space inside your casing. If it’s enough, go forward with the purchase.
Compatibility
GPUs and CPUs don’t have many compatibility issues, and even older-generation motherboards can support the latest-generation GPUs because the PCIe is backward compatible. The latest Nvidia 4000 and AMD 7000 GPU series all support PCI 4.0. However, if you have the newer PCI 5.0 motherboard, you should be able to connect your GPU without compatibility issues. However, the performance might be a bit compromised due to the limitation of PCIe 4.0.
Brand
There are various brands that offer different styles of the same GPU. Some examples include ASUS, Gigabyte, PNY, and more. Each brand has its own price for the same GPU, which increases depending on how many bells and whistles they include, such as RGB lighting and fancy backplates. However, that’s not all – they also manufacture overclocked versions, which come at an even higher price.
So, depending on your budget, you could get the same GPU at varying prices depending on the brand. Generally, ASUS ROG Strix GPUs fetch high prices, while other brands like PNY are relatively cheaper.
