Buy on Amazon
$35
In Stock
AvailabilityMSRP $133
Availability
MSRP $133
AvailabilityMSRP $289
Availability
MSRP $289
Key Differences
In short — Core i5-12600K outperforms the cheaper Core i3-540 on the selected game parameters. However, the worse performing Core i3-540 is a better bang for your buck. The better performing Core i5-12600K is 4319 days newer than the cheaper Core i3-540.
Advantages of Core i3-540
- Up to 80% cheaper than Core i5-12600K - $35.00 vs $172.97
- Up to 78% better value when playing Monster Hunter: World than Core i5-12600K - $0.14 vs $0.63 per FPS
- Consumes up to 42% less energy than Intel Core i5-12600K - 73 vs 125 Watts
Advantages of Core i5-12600K
- Performs up to 9% better in Monster Hunter: World than Core i3-540 - 273 vs 250 FPS
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously than Intel Core i3-540 - 16 vs 4 threads
Monster Hunter: World
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Highest
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
Buy for $35 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 69 minutes ago
Core i5-12600K
Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021
FPS
273
100%
Value, $/FPS
$0.63/FPS
22%
Price, $
$172.97
20%
FPS Winner
Intel Core i5-12600K Desktop Processor with Integrated Graphics and 10 (6P+4E) Cores up to 4.9 GHz Unlocked LGA1700 600 Series Chipset 125W
Buy for $172.97 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 79 minutes ago
Trending Games
With selected game settings
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Highest
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
Core i5-12600K
Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021
Geekbench 5 Benchmarks
Core i3-540 | vs | Core i5-12600K |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Release Date | Nov 4th, 2021 |
| Core i3 | Collection | Core i5 |
| Clarkdale | Codename | Alder Lake |
| Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 1700 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| 2 | Cores | 10 |
| 4 | Threads | 16 |
| 3.1 GHz | Base Clock Speed | 3.7 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Clock Speed | 4.9 GHz |
73 W | TDP | 125 W |
| 32 nm | Process Size | 10 nm |
| 23.0x | Multiplier | 37.0x |
| Intel HD | Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 770 |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
PCs Using Core i3-540 or Core i5-12600K
With selected game settings
140 FPS
$11.43/FPS
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,599.99
In Stock
126 FPS
$15.08/FPS
32 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,899.99
In Stock
126 FPS
$9.52/FPS
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,199.99
In Stock
170 FPS
$9.9/FPS
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,682.23
In Stock
168 FPS
$10.71/FPS
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,799.99
In Stock
149 FPS
$24.15/FPS
32 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$3,598
In Stock
118 FPS
$11.44/FPS
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,349.99
In Stock
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