Core i5-12600KF vs Xeon E5-2603

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	2058	322
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.37	57.25
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Series	no data	Intel Core i5
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
Release date	6 March 2012 (12 years ago)	4 November 2021 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$207	$264
Current price	$60 (0.3x MSRP)	$253 (1x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i5-12600KF has 15373% better value for money than Xeon E5-2603.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5-2603 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	4 (Quad-Core)	10 (Deca-Core)
Threads	4	16
Base clock speed	1.8 GHz	3.7 GHz
Boost clock speed	1.8 GHz	4.9 GHz
Bus support	no data	8 × 16 GT/s
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	80K (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	9.5 MB
L3 cache	10240 KB (shared)	20 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	294 mm2	215.25 mm220.5 mm × 10.5 mm
Maximum core temperature	70 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
Number of transistors	1,270 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	No	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5-2603 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	2	1
Socket	FCLGA2011	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	80 Watt	125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	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
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	-	no data
Demand Based Switching	+	no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	-
Status	Discontinued	Launched

Security technologies

Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	no data
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
Identity Protection	-	no data
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	384 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	4	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	40	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 i5-12600KF outperforms Xeon E5-2603 by 1083% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	1.50	17.75
Recency	6 March 2012	4 November 2021
Physical cores	4	10
Threads	4	16
Cost	$207	$264
Power consumption (TDP)	80 Watt	125 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5-2603 and Core i5-12600KF, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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