i5-12500H vs i7-3960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1172	559
Place by popularity	not in top-100	32
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.40	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	Intel Alder Lake-P
Power efficiency	3.87	27.91
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Alder Lake-H (2022)
Release date	14 November 2011 (13 years ago)	January 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$861	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H 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	6 (Hexa-Core)	12 (Dodeca-Core)
Threads	12	16
Base clock speed	3.3 GHz	2.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	4.5 GHz
Bus rate	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	15 MB (shared)	18 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	435 mm2	217 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	67 °C	no data
Number of transistors	2,270 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H 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	FCLGA2011	FCBGA1744
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	45 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	-	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	no data	+
Smart Response	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

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

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4, DDR5
Maximum memory size	64 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	no data	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics eligible
Quick Sync Video	-	+
Graphics max frequency	no data	1.3 GHz
Execution Units	no data	80

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

4

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4096 x 2304 @ 60Hz
Max resolution over eDP	no data	4096 x 2304 @ 120Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	12.1
OpenGL	no data	4.6

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H.

PCIe version	2.0	4.0
PCI Express lanes	40	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	5.32	13.27
Physical cores	6	12
Threads	12	16
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	45 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X and Core i5-12500H, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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