Intel Core i9-12900KF vs Intel Core i7-5960X. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
• Family
  Intel Core i9 Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
• Generation
  12 5
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 12000 Intel Core i 5000X
• Predecessor
  Intel Core i9-11900KF --

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Frequency
  3.70 GHz 3.00 GHz
• CPU Cores
  16 8
• Turbo (1 Core)
  5.30 GHz 3.50 GHz
• CPU Threads
  24 16
• Hyperthreading
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  Yes Yes
• Core architecture
  hybrid (big.LITTLE) normal
• A core
  8x Golden Cove --
• B core
  8x Gracemont --

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Intel Iris Xe Graphics 32 (Alder Lake S) no iGPU
• GPU frequency
  0.40 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  1.45 GHz No turbo
• Execution units
  32
• Shader
  256
• Max. GPU Memory
  16 GB --
• Max. displays
  4
• Generation
  12
• DirectX Version
  12
• Technology
  10 nm
• Release date
  Q4/2021

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h264
  Decode / Encode No
• VP9
  Decode / Encode No
• VP8
  Decode No
• AV1
  Decode No
• AVC
  Decode / Encode No
• VC-1
  Decode No
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode No

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Intel Core i7-5960X and Intel Core i9-12900KF. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  DDR4-3200DDR5-4800 DDR4-2133
• Max. Memory
  256 GB
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  2 4
• PCIe version
  5.0 3.0
• PCIe lanes
  20 40

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Intel Core i9-12900KF and Intel Core i7-5960X to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  125 W 140 W
• TDP (PL2)
  228 W / 56 s --
• Tjunction max.
  100 °C --

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Intel Core i9-12900KF and Intel Core i7-5960X, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
• L2-Cache
  3.75 MB --
• L3-Cache
  30.00 MB 20.00 MB
• Architecture
  Alder Lake S Haswell E
• Technology
  10 nm 22 nm
• Socket
  LGA 1700 LGA 2011-3
• Release date
  Q4/2021 Q3/2014
• Part Number
  BX8071512900KF --