Buy on Amazon
$98.95
In Stock
AvailabilityMSRP in USD: $133
Availability
MSRP in USD: $133
AvailabilityMSRP in USD: $289
Availability
MSRP in USD: $289
Key Differences
In short — Core i5-12600K outperforms the cheaper Core i3-540 on the selected game parameters. We do not have the prices of both CPUs to compare value. The better performing Core i5-12600K is 4319 days newer than the cheaper Core i3-540.
Advantages of Intel Core i3-540
- Up to 36% cheaper than Core i5-12600K - $98.95 vs $154.0
- Consumes up to 42% less energy than Intel Core i5-12600K - 73 vs 125 Watts
Advantages of Intel Core i5-12600K
- Performs up to 68% better in HITMAN 2 than Core i3-540 - 185 vs 110 FPS
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously than Intel Core i3-540 - 16 vs 4 threads
HITMAN 2
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Ultra
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
Buy for $98.95 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 141 minutes ago
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 $154 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 141 minutes ago
TOP 5 Games
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Ultra
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
Core i5-12600K
Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021
Geekbench 5 Benchmarks
Intel Core i3-540 | vs | Intel 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 |
Builds Using Core i3-540 or Core i5-12600K
HITMAN 2, 1920 x 1080, Ultra
142 FPS
$11.27/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,599.99
In Stock
135 FPS
$12.99/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,754.11
In Stock
135 FPS
$14.07/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Core i5-12600K
32 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,899.99
In Stock
135 FPS
$8.89/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,199.99
In Stock
156 FPS
$10.89/FPS
GeForce RTX 4070
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,699
In Stock
130 FPS
$10.38/FPS
GeForce RTX 4060
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,349.99
In Stock
156 FPS
$11.54/FPS
GeForce RTX 3080
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,799.99
In Stock
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