In Atomfall, the Core i3-540 is slower than the Core i9-12900K. However, it's a much better value for money, as it's $187 cheaper!
Core i3-540
- Up to 65% cheaper – $101.57 vs $289.00
- Up to 65% cheaper
- Up to 55% better value in Atomfall – $0.54 vs $1.20/FPS
- Up to 55% better value in Atomfall
- Consumes up to 42% less energy – 73 vs 125 Watts
- Consumes up to 42% less energy
Core i9-12900K
- Up to 28% faster in Atomfall – 239 vs 186 FPS
- Up to 28% faster in Atomfall
- Is 11 years and 9 months newer – Nov 04, 2021 vs Jan 07, 2010
- Is 11 years and 9 months newer
Atomfall FPS Calculator
Core i3-540 vs Core i9-12900K: Comparison of performance and price
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Average FPS
186 FPS
78%
Min 1% FPS
140 FPS
78%
Price, $
$101.57
100%
Value, $/FPS
$0.54/FPS
100%
Core i9-12900K
Nov 4th, 2021
Average FPS
239 FPS
100%
Min 1% FPS
179 FPS
100%
Price, $
$289
35%
Value, $/FPS
$1.2/FPS
45%
Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i3-540 vs Core i9-12900K in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i3-540 vs Core i9-12900K in core CPU performance specifications
Core i3-540
Jan 7th, 2010
Cores
2-core
12%
L3 Cache
4 MB
13%
Base Frequency
3.066 GHz
96%
Turbo Frequency
GHz
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1333 MHz
28%
Core i9-12900K
Nov 4th, 2021
Cores
16-core
100%
L3 Cache
30 MB
100%
Base Frequency
3.2 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
5.2 GHz
100%
Max. DDR5 RAM Speed
4800 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of core specifications
Core i3-540 Jan 7th, 2010 | SpecificationsComparison of core specifications | Core i9-12900K Nov 4th, 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Released | Nov 4th, 2021 |
$133.00 | MSRP | $599.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| LGA1156 | Socket | LGA1700 |
73 W | Power Consumption | 125 W |
| Other Features | ||
| 1333 MHz (DDR3) | RAM | 3200 MHz (DDR4), 4800 MHz (DDR5) |
| Intel HD | Integrated GPU | UHD Graphics 770 |
| Not Overclockable | Overclock Support | Overclockable |

















































































































































