i5-12600KF vs i3-7120
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 352 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 46.54 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | Intel Core i5 |
| Power efficiency | no data | 13.30 |
| Architecture codename | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) | Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) |
| Release date | 17 July 2017 (7 years ago) | 4 November 2021 (3 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $117 | $264 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF 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) | 10 (Deca-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 16 |
| Base clock speed | 4 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4 GHz | 4.9 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 3.0 | DMI 4.0 |
| Bus rate | 8 GT/s | 8 × 16 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 40 | 37 |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 80K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 9.5 MB |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 20 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | Intel 7 nm |
| Die size | no data | 215.25 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 65 °C | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF 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 (Uniprocessor) | 1 |
| Socket | 1151 | FCLGA1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| TSX | + | - |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Turbo Boost Max 3.0 | no data | - |
| Deep Learning Boost | - | + |
Security technologies
Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Dual-channel | DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 38.397 GB/s | 76.805 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 630 | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 5.0 and 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | 20 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 17 July 2017 | 4 November 2021 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 10 |
| Threads | 4 | 16 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | 125 Watt |
i3-7120 has 145.1% lower power consumption.
i5-12600KF, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 4 years, and 400% more physical cores and 300% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-7120 and Core i5-12600KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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