i9-12900F vs i7-5960X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	931	226
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.78	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Power efficiency	5.43	33.30
Architecture codename	Haswell-E (2014)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
Release date	1 September 2014 (10 years ago)	4 January 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F 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	8 (Octa-Core)	16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads	16	24
Base clock speed	3 GHz	2.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.5 GHz	5.1 GHz
Bus rate	0 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64K (per core)	80K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache	20 MB (shared)	30 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	356 mm2	215 mm2
Maximum core temperature	67 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
Number of transistors	2,600 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F 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	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

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

Security technologies

Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F 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 i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	64 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	76.8 GB/s

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0 and 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	8.03	22.87
Recency	1 September 2014	4 January 2022
Physical cores	8	16
Threads	16	24
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	65 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-5960X and Core i9-12900F, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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