i7-12700F vs i3-540

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2478	294
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.11	36.56
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	1.25	28.14
Architecture codename	Clarkdale (2010−2011)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
Release date	7 January 2010 (14 years ago)	4 January 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$45	$386

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-12700F has 33136% better value for money than i3-540.

Detailed specifications

Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F 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	2 (Dual-core)	12 (Dodeca-Core)
Threads	4	20
Base clock speed	3.06 GHz	2.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	0.07 GHz	4.9 GHz
Bus rate	2.5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	80K (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache	4 MB (shared)	25 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	81 mm2	215 mm2
Maximum core temperature	73 °C	100 °C
Number of transistors	382 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F 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	FCLGA1156	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	73 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	-	+
AVX	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	-	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	-	+
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
PAE	36 Bit	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	+
FDI	+	no data
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F are enumerated here.

VT-d	no data	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	16.38 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	76.8 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors	no data
Clear Video HD	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

2

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	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.

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	1.00	20.06
Recency	7 January 2010	4 January 2022
Physical cores	2	12
Threads	4	20
Power consumption (TDP)	73 Watt	65 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-540 and Core i7-12700F, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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