Intel Core i7-12700K vs AMD Athlon II X2 250u

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-12700K or Intel Core i7-12700K – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i7-12700K features 12 processor cores and has the capability to manage 20 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2021 and belongs to the 12 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-12700K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1700 socket.
The AMD Athlon II X2 250u features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2009 and belongs to the 1 generation of the AMD Athlon II series.
To use the AMD Athlon II X2 250u, you'll need a motherboard with a AM3 socket.
Intel Core i 12000 Group AMD Athlon II X2 (Propus)
12 Generation 1
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i7-12700K Name AMD Athlon II X2 250u
Intel Core i7 Family AMD Athlon II
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-12700K has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the A-Core is 3.6 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
Processors with hybrid (big.LITTLE) architecture strike a balance between performance and power efficiency, making them ideal for mobile devices.
The AMD Athlon II X2 250u has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Athlon II X2 250u is 1.6 GHz
20 Threads 2
2.7 GHz B-Core Frequency None
None None 2x
12 CPU Cores 2
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
8x Golden Cove Cores A None
Yes Hyperthreading No
3.6 GHz A-Core Frequency None
5.0 GHz A-Core Frequency Turbo None
Yes Overclocking No
4x Gracemont Cores B None
3.8 GHz B-Core Frequency Turbo None
None None 1.6 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-12700K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-12700K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 770, which has 256 texture shaders
and 32 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The AMD Athlon II X2 250u does not have integrated graphics.
256 Shaders --
Q4/2021 Release date --
10 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
32 Execution units --
0.3 GHz GPU frequency --
11 Generation --
1.5 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU name
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
Decode AV1 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI No
DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory type DDR3-1333
Yes ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 16.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth --
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 125 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 25 W watts.
190 W TDP (PL2) None
125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 25 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-12700K is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 25.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Athlon II X2 250u is manufactured using a 45 nm process.
Q4/2021 Release date Q3/2009
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE3, SSE4a, MMX, 3DNow!
10 nm Technology 45 nm
Monolithic Chip design --
409 $ Release price --
Alder Lake S Architecture Propus
25.0 MB L3-Cache 0 bytes
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
BX8071512700K Part Number --
LGA 1700 Socket AM3
12.0 MB L2-Cache 2.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
22812
22812
AMD Athlon II X2 250u
2C 2T @ 1.6 GHz
425
425

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
14992
14992
AMD Athlon II X2 250u
2C 2T @ 1.6 GHz
423
423

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-12700K
12C 20T @ 3.6 GHz
1939
1939
AMD Athlon II X2 250u
2C 2T @ 1.6 GHz
229
229