i9-12900KF vs i7-720QM

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2423	185
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	no data	38.87
Market segment	Laptop	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i9
Power efficiency	2.19	19.60
Architecture codename	Clarksfield (2009−2010)	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
Release date	24 June 2009 (15 years ago)	27 October 2021 (3 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$546	$564

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF 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	4 (Quad-Core)	16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads	8	24
Base clock speed	1.6 GHz	3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.8 GHz	5.2 GHz
Bus type	DMI 1.0	DMI 4.0
Bus rate	2.5 GT/s	8 × 16 GT/s
Multiplier	12	32
L1 cache	256 KB	768 KB
L2 cache	1 MB	4 MB
L3 cache	6 MB (shared)	6 MB
Chip lithography	45 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	296 mm2	215.25 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
Number of transistors	774 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF 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	FCPGA988,PGA988	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF. 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	-	+
vPro	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
PAE	36 Bit	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	+
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

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

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	8 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21.335 GB/s	76.805 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

None

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF.

PCIe version	2	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	1.08	26.87
Recency	24 June 2009	27 October 2021
Physical cores	4	16
Threads	8	24
Power consumption (TDP)	45 Watt	125 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-720QM and Core i9-12900KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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