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Core i7-12700KF vs Core i7-3970X

Core i7-12700KF vs Core i7-3970X: game performance, price, value, and specification comparison. Select comparison game parameters.

FPS Winner

Intel Core i7-12700KF

3.6 GHz | 12-core

Intel Core i7-12700KF Logo
Intel® Core™ i7-12700KF, 12-Core Desktop Processor (8P+4E) up to 5.0GHz, LGA1700 125W 600 Series Chipset

Buy for $189.99 on Amazon

In Stock

Updated 58 minutes ago

vs

Intel Core i7-3970X

3.5 GHz | 6-core

Intel Core i7-3970X Logo
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition i7-3970X 3.5GHz 5.0GT/s 15MB LGA2011 Processor Without -fan, Retail BX80619I73970X

Buy for $176.86 on Amazon

In Stock

Updated 57 minutes ago

FPS Winner

Intel Core i7-12700KF

3.6 GHz | 12-core

Intel Core i7-12700KF Logo
Intel® Core™ i7-12700KF, 12-Core Desktop Processor (8P+4E) up to 5.0GHz, LGA1700 125W 600 Series Chipset

Buy for $189.99 on Amazon

In Stock

Updated 58 minutes ago

vs

Intel Core i7-3970X

3.5 GHz | 6-core

Intel Core i7-3970X Logo
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition i7-3970X 3.5GHz 5.0GT/s 15MB LGA2011 Processor Without -fan, Retail BX80619I73970X

Buy for $176.86 on Amazon

In Stock

Updated 57 minutes ago

Key Differences

In short, we have a clear winner — Core i7-12700KF outperforms the cheaper Core i7-3970X on the selected game parameters, and is also a better bang for your buck! The better performing Core i7-12700KF is 3290 days newer than the cheaper Core i7-3970X.

Advantages of Intel Core i7-12700KF

  • Performs up to 21% better in Overwatch 2 than Core i7-3970X - 392 vs 325 FPS
  • Up to 11% better value when playing Overwatch 2 than Core i7-3970X - $0.48 vs $0.54 per FPS
  • Consumes up to 17% less energy than Intel Core i7-3970X - 125 vs 150 Watts
  • Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously than Intel Core i7-3970X - 20 vs 12 threads

Advantages of Intel Core i7-3970X

  • Up to 7% cheaper than Core i7-12700KF - $176.86 vs $189.99
This is a free version of Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2

Resolution

1920 x 1080

Game Graphics

Epic

Intel Core i7-12700KF Logo
Core i7-12700KF

Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021


FPS

392

100%

Value, $/FPS

$0.48/FPS

100%

Price, $

$189.99

93%

FPS and Value Winner

Intel® Core™ i7-12700KF, 12-Core Desktop Processor (8P+4E) up to 5.0GHz, LGA1700 125W 600 Series Chipset

Buy for $189.99 on Amazon

In Stock

Updated 58 minutes ago

Intel Core i7-3970X Logo
Core i7-3970X

Desktop • Nov 1st, 2012


FPS

325

83%

Value, $/FPS

$0.54/FPS

89%

Price, $

$176.86

100%

Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition i7-3970X 3.5GHz 5.0GT/s 15MB LGA2011 Processor Without -fan, Retail BX80619I73970X

Buy for $176.86 on Amazon

In Stock

Updated 57 minutes ago

TOP 5 Games

Resolution

1920 x 1080

Game Graphics

Epic

Intel Core i7-12700KF Logo
Core i7-12700KF

Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021

Intel Core i7-3970X Logo
Core i7-3970X

Desktop • Nov 1st, 2012

Geekbench 5 Benchmarks

Intel Core i7-12700KF Logo
Core i7-12700KF

Desktop • Nov 4th, 2021


Single-Core

2526

100%

Multi-Core

13549

100%

Intel Core i7-3970X Logo
Core i7-3970X

Desktop • Nov 1st, 2012


Single-Core

648

26%

Multi-Core

3305

24%

Nov 4th, 2021
Release DateNov 1st, 2012
Core i7CollectionCore i7
Alder LakeCodenameSandy Bridge E
Intel Socket 1700SocketIntel Socket 2011
Desktop
Segment
Desktop
12
Cores6
20
Threads12
3.6 GHz
Base Clock Speed3.5 GHz
5.0 GHz
Turbo Clock Speed4.0 GHz
125 W
TDP150 W
10 nm
Process Size32 nm
36.0x
Multiplier35.0x
NoneIntegrated GraphicsNone
YesOverclockableYes

PC Builds Using Core i7-12700KF or Core i7-3970X

Overwatch 2, 1920 x 1080, Epic

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