i3-12100F vs i9-7900X

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	560	859
Place by popularity	not in top-100	5
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.90	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Core i9 (Desktop)	no data
Power efficiency	8.96	14.49
Architecture codename	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
Release date	26 June 2017 (7 years ago)	January 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$999	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F 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	10 (Deca-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	20	8
Base clock speed	3.3 GHz	3.3 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.5 GHz	4.3 GHz
Bus type	DMI 3.0	no data
Bus rate	4 × 8 GT/s	no data
Multiplier	33	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	80K (per core)
L2 cache	1 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache	14 MB (shared)	12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	no data	163 mm2
Maximum core temperature	95 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F 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	Socket R4	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	58 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	+	+
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	-	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	-
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F 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 i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	128 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	85.33 GB/s	76.8 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

N/A

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	44	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	13.25	8.88
Physical cores	10	4
Threads	20	8
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	58 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-7900X and Core i3-12100F, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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