i5-12600K vs i7-3970X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i5-12600K outperforms Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition by a whopping 200% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1129 | 364 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 44.01 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | Intel Core i5 |
| Power efficiency | 3.67 | 13.20 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) |
| Release date | 12 November 2012 (12 years ago) | 4 November 2021 (3 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $289 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K 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) | 10 (Deca-Core) |
| Threads | 12 | 16 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 4.9 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | DMI 4.0 |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 8 × 16 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 35 | 37 |
| L1 cache | no data | 80K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 20 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | Intel 7 nm |
| Die size | no data | 215.25 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K 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 | no data | FCLGA1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K. 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 i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K 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 i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4, DDR5 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 76.805 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.45 GHz |
| Execution Units | no data | 32 |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 4 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K 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 i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K 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 i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 5.0 and 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 20 |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.81 | 17.43 |
| Recency | 12 November 2012 | 4 November 2021 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 10 |
| Threads | 12 | 16 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 150 Watt | 125 Watt |
i5-12600K has a 200% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 years, 66.7% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads, and 20% lower power consumption.
The Core i5-12600K is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition and Core i5-12600K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
