i5-12600KF vs Atom C3958

Primary details

Comparing Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1744	350
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.58	48.92
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Atom	Intel Core i5
Power efficiency	7.56	13.31
Architecture codename	Goldmont (2016−2017)	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
Release date	15 August 2017 (7 years ago)	27 October 2021 (3 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$449	$264

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i5-12600KF has 8334% better value for money than Atom C3958.

Detailed specifications

Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	16 (Hexadeca-Core)	10 (Deca-Core)
Threads	16	16
Base clock speed	2 GHz	3.7 GHz
Boost clock speed	2 GHz	4.9 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 4.0
Bus rate	no data	8 × 16 GT/s
Multiplier	20	37
L1 cache	896 KB	384 KB
L2 cache	16 MB	9.5 MB
L3 cache	16 MB	2 MB
Chip lithography	14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	no data	215.25 mm2
Maximum core temperature	83 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1 (Uniprocessor)	1
Socket	FCBGA1310	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	31 Watt	125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	no data	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	-	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
QuickAssist	+	no data
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	-	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	+
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	-	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	-
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

EDB	+	+
Secure Boot	+	no data
Secure Key	+	+
SGX	-	no data
OS Guard	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4: 2400	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	256 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	38.397 GB/s	76.805 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF.

PCIe version	3	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	20
USB revision	3	no data
Total number of SATA ports	16	no data
Max number of SATA 6 Gb/s Ports	16	no data
Number of USB ports	8	no data
Integrated LAN	4x10/2.5/1 GBE	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	2.57	18.24
Recency	15 August 2017	27 October 2021
Physical cores	16	10
Power consumption (TDP)	31 Watt	125 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Atom C3958 and Core i5-12600KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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