The Core i3-540 is at least 2x slower gaming CPU than the Core i7-12700F, however, it's a slightly better value for money, as it's $181.06 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i3-540
- Up to 85% cheaper – $31.53 vs $212.59
- A slightly better value for money for gaming
- Has an integrated GPU, while the Core i7-12700F cannot run games without a dedicated GPU
Advantages of the Core i7-12700F
- At least 2x faster CPU for gaming
- Consumes up to 11% less energy – 65 vs 73 Watts
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 20 vs 4 threads
Core i3-540 vs Core i7-12700F for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Average FPS
166
80%
Min 1% FPS
112
82%
Price, €
€31.53
100%
Value, €/FPS
€0.18/FPS
100%
Core i7-12700F
Jan 4th, 2022
Average FPS
207
100%
Min 1% FPS
136
100%
Price, €
€212.59
14%
Value, €/FPS
€1.02/FPS
18%
Core i3-540 vs Core i7-12700F in My Games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
Add a Game
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Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i3-540 vs Core i7-12700F in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i3-540 vs Core i7-12700F in core CPU performance specifications
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Cores
2-core
17%
L3 Cache
4 MB
16%
Base Frequency
3.07 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
GHz
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1333 MHz
28%
Core i7-12700F
Jan 4th, 2022
Cores
12-core
100%
L3 Cache
25 MB
100%
Base Frequency
2.1 GHz
68%
Turbo Frequency
4.9 GHz
100%
Max. DDR5 RAM Speed
4800 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i3-540 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-12700F |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Release Date | Jan 4th, 2022 |
$133.00 | MSRP | $324.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 1700 |
| Clarkdale | Codename | Alder Lake |
| 73 W | Power Consumption | 65 W |
| Performance | ||
| 2 | Cores | 12 |
| 4 | Threads | 20 |
3.1 GHz | Base Frequency | 2.1 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Frequency | 4.9 GHz |
| 4 MB | L3 Cache | 25 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1333 MHz | RAM | DDR4 @ 3200 MHz, DDR5 @ 4800 MHz |
Intel HD | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | No |
