i7-12700K vs i5-8550
Primary details
Comparing Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 237 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 57 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 40.40 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i5 | Intel Core i7 |
| Power efficiency | no data | 16.49 |
| Architecture codename | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) |
| Release date | 1 September 2018 (6 years ago) | 27 October 2021 (3 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $409 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K 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 | 6 (Hexa-Core) | 12 (Dodeca-Core) |
| Threads | 6 | 20 |
| Base clock speed | 3 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.3 GHz | 5 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 3.0 | DMI 4.0 |
| Bus rate | 4 × 8 GT/s | 8 × 16 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 36 |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 384 KB |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 2 MB |
| L3 cache | 9 MB (shared) | 1 MB |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | 126 mm2 | 215.25 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 72 °C | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K 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 | 1151 | FCLGA1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K. 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 | + | + |
| FMA | - | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| SIPP | - | + |
| Turbo Boost Max 3.0 | no data | + |
| Deep Learning Boost | - | + |
Security technologies
Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Dual-channel | DDR4, DDR5 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 42.671 GB/s | 76.805 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.5 GHz |
| Execution Units | no data | 32 |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 4 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 5.0 and 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 20 |
Pros & cons summary
| Integrated graphics card | 3.09 | 6.15 |
| Recency | 1 September 2018 | 27 October 2021 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 12 |
| Threads | 6 | 20 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 125 Watt |
i5-8550 has 92.3% lower power consumption.
i7-12700K, on the other hand, has 99% faster integrated GPU, an age advantage of 3 years, 100% more physical cores and 233.3% more threads, and a 40% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-8550 and Core i7-12700K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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