Buy on Amazon
$60
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. 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 Intel Core i3-540
- Up to 66% cheaper than Core i5-12600K - $60.0 vs $177.2
- Up to 55% better value when playing Total War: WARHAMMER III than Core i5-12600K - $0.4 vs $0.88 per FPS
- Consumes up to 42% less energy than Intel Core i5-12600K - 73 vs 125 Watts
Advantages of Intel Core i5-12600K
- Performs up to 34% better in Total War: WARHAMMER III than Core i3-540 - 201 vs 150 FPS
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously than Intel Core i3-540 - 16 vs 4 threads
Total War: WARHAMMER III
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Ultra
Intel Core i3 Processor i3-540 3.06GHz 4MB LGA1156 CPU BX80616I3540
Buy for $60 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 3415 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 $177.2 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 3415 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
Total War: WARHAMMER III, 1920 x 1080, Ultra
59 FPS
$19.49/FPS
GeForce RTX 4060
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,149.99
In Stock
64 FPS
$27.41/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,754.11
In Stock
74 FPS
$9.8/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$725.22
In Stock
64 FPS
$28.68/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Core i5-12600K
32 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,835.65
In Stock
64 FPS
$18.75/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,199.99
In Stock
74 FPS
$12.57/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070
Core i5-12600K
32 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$930.24
In Stock
96 FPS
$17.7/FPS
GeForce RTX 4070
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,699
In Stock
80 FPS
$44.98/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Core i5-12600K
32 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$3,598
In Stock
59 FPS
$22.88/FPS
GeForce RTX 4060
Core i5-12600K
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,349.99
In Stock
50 FPS
$17.09/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060
Core i5-12600K
32 GB, 500 GB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$854.67
In Stock
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