Core i9-12900F vs Core i7-6700K

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1043	186
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.79	44.84
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Architecture codename	Skylake (2015−2016)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
Release date	1 August 2015 (8 years ago)	4 January 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$339	no data
Current price	$160 (0.5x MSRP)	$500

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i9-12900F has 1507% better value for money than i7-6700K.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F 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	4 (Quad-Core)	16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads	8	24
Base clock speed	4 GHz	2.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.2 GHz	5.1 GHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	80K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	30 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	122 mm2	215 mm2
Maximum core temperature	64 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	72 °C
Number of transistors	1750 Million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F 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	1
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	91 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

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

Security technologies

Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
MPX	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	no data
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	no data
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3, DDR4	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	64 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 530	no data
Max video memory	64 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	no data
Clear Video	+	no data
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.15 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	no data
eDP	+	no data
DisplayPort	+	no data
HDMI	+	no data
DVI	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	+	no data
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096x2304@24Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	4096x2304@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	4096x2304@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over VGA	N/A	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	no data
OpenGL	4.5	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	20

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.

Core i9-12900F outperforms Core i7-6700K by 314% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	5.77	23.91
Recency	1 August 2015	4 January 2022
Physical cores	4	16
Threads	8	24
Power consumption (TDP)	91 Watt	65 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6700K and Core i9-12900F, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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