Buy on Amazon
$60
In Stock
AvailabilityMSRP in USD: $133
Availability
MSRP in USD: $133
AvailabilityMSRP in USD: $384
Availability
MSRP in USD: $384
Key Differences
In short — Core i7-12700KF 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 i7-12700KF is 4319 days newer than the cheaper Core i3-540.
Advantages of Intel Core i3-540
- Up to 68% cheaper than Core i7-12700KF - $60.0 vs $189.99
- Up to 59% better value when playing Watch Dogs: Legion than Core i7-12700KF - $0.48 vs $1.17 per FPS
- Consumes up to 42% less energy than Intel Core i7-12700KF - 73 vs 125 Watts
- Works without a dedicated GPU, while Intel Core i7-12700KF doesn't have integrated graphics
Advantages of Intel Core i7-12700KF
- Performs up to 31% better in Watch Dogs: Legion than Core i3-540 - 162 vs 124 FPS
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously than Intel Core i3-540 - 20 vs 4 threads
Watch Dogs: Legion
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 120 minutes ago
Core i7-12700KF
Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021
FPS
162
100%
Value, $/FPS
$1.17/FPS
41%
Price, $
$189.99
31%
FPS Winner
Intel Core i7-12700KF Gaming Desktop Processor 12 (8P+4E) Cores up to 5.0 GHz Unlocked LGA1700 600 Series Chipset 125W
Buy for $189.99 on Amazon
In Stock
Updated 120 minutes ago
TOP 5 Games
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Game Graphics
Ultra
Core i3-540
Desktop • Jan 7th, 2010
Core i7-12700KF
Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021
Geekbench 5 Benchmarks
Intel Core i3-540 | vs | Intel Core i7-12700KF |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 7th, 2010 | Release Date | Nov 4th, 2021 |
| Core i3 | Collection | Core i7 |
| Clarkdale | Codename | Alder Lake |
| Intel Socket 1156 | Socket | Intel Socket 1700 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| 2 | Cores | 12 |
| 4 | Threads | 20 |
| 3.1 GHz | Base Clock Speed | 3.6 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Clock Speed | 5.0 GHz |
73 W | TDP | 125 W |
| 32 nm | Process Size | 10 nm |
| 23.0x | Multiplier | 36.0x |
Intel HD | Integrated Graphics | None |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
Builds Using Core i3-540 or Core i7-12700KF
Watch Dogs: Legion, 1920 x 1080, Ultra
108 FPS
$14.81/FPS
GeForce RTX 4070
Core i7-12700KF
32 GB, 512 GB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$1,599.99
In Stock
65 FPS
$20/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060
Core i7-12700KF
16 GB, 2 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$1,299.99
In Stock
75 FPS
$18/FPS
GeForce RTX 4060
Core i7-12700KF
32 GB, 512 GB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$1,349.99
In Stock
95 FPS
$23.47/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Core i7-12700KF
16 GB, 1 TB SSD + 1 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$2,229.97
In Stock
89 FPS
$14.04/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070
Core i7-12700KF
32 GB, 2 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$1,249.99
In Stock
65 FPS
$27.08/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060
Core i7-12700KF
16 GB, 2 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$1,759.97
In Stock
95 FPS
$14.31/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Core i7-12700KF
32 GB, N/A Storage
Buy on Amazon
$1,359
In Stock
95 FPS
$11.58/FPS
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Core i7-12700KF
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,099.99
In Stock
65 FPS
$20/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060
Core i7-12700KF
16 GB, 1 TB SSD
Buy on Amazon
$1,299.99
In Stock
65 FPS
$48.06/FPS
GeForce RTX 3060
Core i7-12700KF
16 GB, 1 TB HDD
Buy on Amazon
$3,124
In Stock
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