i7 12700K Vs i7 12700KF: Benchmarks & Which Is Better

If you are looking forward to buying a new CPU, now is the perfect time for it. With the drop of Intel’s latest 13th-gen Tiger Lake series processors in the market, their last-gen Alder Lake series has dropped significantly in price. This made it become a serious option to consider. The 12th generation CPUs are still quite competent, despite being one generation behind the 13th generation, especially when it comes to price to performance ratio. They are among the best performers in their price range.

The CPUs we will compare today are the Intel Core i7 12700K vs Intel Core i7 12700KF. Both come from the same Core i7 12-generation Alder Lake line, as discussed previously. Two similarly priced, wildly popular, and well-acclaimed CPUs.

Both of these CPUs are extremely similar when it comes to specs on paper, with relatively minor differences. We will test both of these processors today in several productivity benchmarks and games to find out which is best suited for your rig.

If budget is not a problem for you and you are looking for the latest and greatest by Intel and AMD, we got you covered there too. Check out our comparison between Ryzen 9 7950X and Intel i9 13900K.

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Key Takeaways

• Intel Core i7 12700K and Intel Core i7 12700KF are both mid-ranged CPUs from the last Gen.
• They both are from the same 12th-generation lineup and share the same Alder Lake architecture. 
• Core i7 12700KF costs less money and does not come with an integrated GPU.
• Core i7 12700K costs a bit more money due to its onboard Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU. 

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Comparison Table

CPU	Intel Core i7 12700K	Intel Core i7 12700KF
Product Generation	12th Generation Core i7	12th Generation Core i7
Core Architecture	Alder Lake	Alder Lake
Processing Node	10nm	10nm
Socket	Intel Socket 1700	Intel Socket 1700
Motherboard Chipset Support	Z690, H670, B660, H610	Z690, H670, B660, H610
Number of Cores (Threads)	12(20)	12(20)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25MB (per core)
L3 Cache	25 MB	25 MB
Base Clock Speed	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
Boost Clock Speed	Up to 5 GHz	Up to 5 GHz
Thermal Design Power	125 watts	125 watts
Integrated Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 770	None
Launch Price	$409	$384
Launch Date	November 2021	November 2021

 

Intel Core i7 12700K Vs Intel Core i7 12700KF: Detailed Specifications

Let us take a look at the detailed specifications of both of our contenders.

Intel Core i7 12700K

Physical

• Socket: Intel Socket 1700
• Foundry: Intel
• Process Size: 10 nm
• Die Size: 215 mm²
• Package: FC-LGA16A
• tCaseMax: 72°C
• tJMax: 100°C

Performance

• Frequency: 3.6 GHz
• Turbo Clock: Up to 5 GHz
• Base Clock: 100 MHz
• P Core Turbo: 4.9 GHz
• P Core Boost 3.0: 5.0 GHz
• E-Core Frequency: 2.7 GHz
• E-Core Turbo Clock: Up to 3.8 GHz
• Multiplier: 36.0x
• Multiplier Unlocked: Yes
• TDP: 125 watts 

Architecture

• Market: Desktop
• Production Status: Active
• Release Date: Nov 4th, 2021
• Launch MSRP: $409
• Codename: Alder Lake S
• Generation: Core i7 (Alder Lake S)
• Part#: SRL4N
• Memory Support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual channel
• DDR4 Speed: 3200 MT/s
• DDR5 Speed: 4800 MT/s
• ECC Memory: No
• PCI-Express: Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only)
• No. of Cores: 12
• No. of Threads: 20
• SMP No. CPUs: 1
• Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 770

Cache

• Cache L1: 80K (per core)
• Cache L2: 1.25MB (per core)
• Cache L3: 25MB Shared

Also Read: Intel i7-12700K Vs i5-13600K

Intel Core i7 12700KF

Physical

• Socket: Intel Socket 1700
• Foundry: Intel
• Process Size: 10 nm
• Die Size: 215 mm²
• Package: FC-LGA16A
• tCaseMax: 72°C
• tJMax: 100°C

Performance

• Frequency: 3.6 GHz
• Turbo Clock: Up to 5 GHz
• Base Clock: 100 MHz
• E-Core Frequency: 2.7 GHz
• E-Core Turbo Clock: Up to 3.8 GHz
• Multiplier: 36.0x
• Multiplier Unlocked: Yes
• TDP: 125 watts 

Architecture

• Market: Desktop
• Production Status: Active
• Release Date: Nov 4th, 2021
• Launch MSRP: $384
• Codename: Alder Lake S
• Generation: Core i7 (Alder Lake S)
• Part#: SRL4P
• Memory Support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual channel
• DDR4 Speed: 3200 MT/s
• DDR5 Speed: 4800 MT/s
• ECC Memory: No
• PCI-Express: Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only)
• No. of Cores: 12
• No. of Threads: 20
• SMP No. CPUs: 1
• Integrated Graphics: None

Cache

• Cache L1: 80K (per core)
• Cache L2: 1.25MB (per core)
• Cache L3: 25MB Shared

Similarities In Specifications

Upon close observation of the detailed specifications of both of these CPUs, it is fair to say that both of these CPUs are extremely similar. Almost everything is identical. They come from the same product generation of Core i7 12th Gen, based on the same Alder Lake architecture, designed on a similar 10nm processing node.

Since they both share the same Intel Socket 1700, they will share support for various motherboards such as Z690, H670, B660, and H610. The number of cores, threads, performance cores, and efficiency cores is also the same.

Both of them run at the base clock of 3.6 GHz and can be overclocked up to 5 GHz. L2 and L3 caches of both are capped at 1.25MB per core and 25 MB total, respectively. You’d also require a similar power supply since they both have a similar TDP of 125 watts. 

Differences In Specifications

As observed earlier, both Core i7 12700K and Core i7 12700KF share a number of similarities with very few differences to begin with. For starters, i7 12700K was launched at an MSRP of $409, compared to the MSRP of the i7 12700KF, which was around $384 when it was launched. Intel kept the prices of 12700K approximately 6% higher due to its support for onboard graphics.

Perhaps, the only differentiator between both of our contenders today. i7 12700K comes with built-in support for Intel UHD Graphics 770 onboard graphics. In comparison to that, i7 12700KF does not have an integrated GPU.

This makes a choice a bit easier since, if you do not have a dedicated GPU on hand, you will not even be able to get a display out of 12700KF, and your obvious choice would be to go with 12700K. 

i7 12700K Vs i7 12700KF: Gaming Benchmarks

After thoroughly inspecting the differences in specs of both of our contenders, let’s analyze their performance differences by putting these CPUs up against each other in real-world benchmarks. Let us look at how both of these CPUs perform in the various AAA titles released lately.

We will be testing all the games on 1080p and 1440p, so you can better understand how both CPUs work. Especially at the lower resolutions where we are CPU bound. The performance tends to rely more on the GPU once the resolution increases.

We will be heading over to The Gamrone’s YouTube channel for the gaming benchmarks. All the titles were tested in two different resolutions at mostly high settings, i.e., 1080p and 1440p, on the following rig with both CPUs running on stock configuration.

Testing Rig

• CPU 1: Intel Core i7 12700K (Stock)
• CPU 2: Intel Core i7 12700KF (Stock)
• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Ultra
• CPU Cooler: MSI MAG CORE LIQUID C360
• GPU: MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 3090ti 24GB 
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR-5 32GB RAM 5600Mhz (2X 16GB) – CL36
• PSU: 1000 watts Cooler Master V1000 SMPS
• Storage: Samsung 980 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2

Cyberpunk 2077

What other game would be a better starting point for our Intel Core i7 12700K vs Intel Core i7 12700KF gaming benchmark than Cyberpunk 2077? One of the heaviest and most demanding games of the modern era. This game is a perfect starting point for our benchmark because this title is equally merciless on both CPU and GPU. At lower resolutions, when the game is not GPU bound, it can make almost every CPU in the world break a sweat, which is why today we will be comparing both our CPUs on two different resolutions in this game.

1080p

Both of our contenders are extremely neck-to-neck in Cyberpunk 2077. The difference was relatively insignificant in terms of average fps as i7 12700KF was only a single frame ahead of 12700K. It was able to provide a stable experience of 126 fps compared to 125 fps by 12700K. In terms of minimum fps, the 12700KF was able to extend its lead to two frames now, being 2% ahead, pushing out 103 minimum fps. In comparison to that, 12700k was able to play the game at a minimum fps of 101. Let’s head over to the higher 1440p resolution and see if 12700KF manages to retain this insignificant lead. 

Similar Comparisons: Intel i7-13700K Vs i7-12700K

1440p

Things look a little differently this time around at 1440p as this time around. Our former winner, 12700KF, loses its lead. 12700K manages to come out on top this time, though, by a single frame like 12700KF did previously. It averaged around 96 fps, whereas 12700KF averaged around 95 fps. Things look particularly interesting in terms of minimum fps, as 12700KF is ahead once again, despite losing the battle of average FPS. The difference is, once again, of a single frame as 12700KF yields a minimum fps of 73 compared to 72 on 12700K.

God Of War 2018

God of War 2018 was recently ported to PC, and it was a successful port. The game tends to rely more on the GPU. However, a capable CPU is also required to avoid any bottlenecks. The game scales well on multiple threads, and anything that has four cores should be able to run the game at playable rates.

1080p

Once again, we see a similar trend compared to what we saw in the previous title. 12700KF manages to retain its lead by two fps once again, performing around 1.2% better in terms of average fps. It managed to run the game comfortably at 172 fps. Compared to that, 12700K was just able to reach the 170 fps mark. The 12700KF managed to widen the gap by three frames in terms of minimum fps, performing 2% better. It managed to yield 148 minimum fps. In comparison to that, 12700K was able to produce 145 minimum fps. 

1440p

The results at the higher 1440p resolution are interesting. 12700 K manages to close the gap to the point where both CPUs perform exactly the same in average fps, with no difference whatsoever. Both CPUs were able to run the game smoothly at 133 average fps.

Things do look different in terms of minimum fps, though, as this time around, 12700K has managed to dethrone our former winner, 12700KF. The difference was relatively minor, though, as 12700k was only a single frame ahead of 12700KF, averaging around 110 minimum fps, compared to 109 fps on 12700KF.

Call Of Duty Warzone Last Stand

Next up, we have Call of Duty Warzone. It is an extremely demanding title that tends to rely a bit more on the GPU. However, a beefy CPU is still required in order to load those maps and textures on the spot.

Though, most of the audience prefers to play it on the lower settings to prioritize fps over visuals since it is a competitive shooter. We ended up testing it at the highest settings at two resolutions so you can get a better idea of what sort of worst-case scenario performance you can expect with a similar rig. 

1080p

Call of Duty Warzone Last Stand saw an above-average result in favor of 12700KF, which managed to retain one of the bigger leads in this benchmark, both in terms of average fps and minimum fps. In terms of average fps, 1200KF was 4 fps ahead, performing approximately 2% faster. It managed to provide a decent 205 fps experience. In comparison to that, 12700k just managed to cross the 200 fps threshold, averaging at around 201 fps.

The gap seemed to get a tad bit narrower in terms of minimum fps, as 12700KF was 1.7% ahead of 12700K this time around by being 3 fps ahead. It managed to yield 179 minimum fps, whereas 12700K delivered 176 fps. Let us see if the same trend continues at the higher 1440p resolution. 

1440p

1440p resolution does not seem to change the result by too much, as 12700KF still manages to retain a comfortable lead against its competitor in both average and minimum fps. In terms of average fps, it was only two frames ahead, averaging around 163 fps.

Not far behind was 12700K, which just managed to deliver 161 fps closing the gap to a mere 1.2%. Minimum fps saw a bigger lead in favor of 12700KF, which was now 2.2% ahead, yielding around 138 fps, whereas 12700K was able to push out 135 minimum fps. 

Horizon Zero Dawn.

Horizon Zero Dawn is a fairly optimized title for today’s hardware. The main reason is it was released almost five years ago, in 2017, for Ps4. However, don’t let its age fool you. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, even by today’s standards.

Though the game requires a surprisingly beefy GPU to run, despite being five years old, you are also going to require an equally capable CPU to eliminate any bottlenecks.

1080p

Horizon Zero Dawn also tends to favor 12700KF in terms of both average and minimum fps. 12700KF was roughly three frames ahead and performed 1.8% better in average fps, averaging around 169 fps. 12700K, on the other hand, managed to deliver a stable 166 fps experience. A slightly smaller difference was observed in terms of minimum fps, where 12700KF again came out on top.

The gap seemed to have narrowed, though, as 12700KF was only 1.3% ahead this time around. It managed to deliver 144 minimum fps. Only two frames behind was 12700K, which yielded 142 minimum fps. Let’s head over to 1440p and see if things remain the same. 

Also Read: BEST Motherboard for i7-12700K

1440p

Things take a drastic turn at the higher 1440p resolution as, this time, 12700K dethrones our former winner, 12700KF, both in terms of average fps and minimum fps. It was two frames ahead in average fps, performing 1.5% better. It managed to run the game comfortably at 134 fps. In contrast to that, 12700KF was averaging around 132 fps.

Minimum fps saw a bigger difference, as 12700K managed to extend the performance gap to 2.8% while managing to stay three frames ahead. It was able to generate a solid 110 minimum fps, whereas 12700KF peaked at 107 fps. 

Red Dead Redemption 2

Next up in our Intel Core i7 12700K vs Intel Core i7 12700KF comparison, we have Red Dead Redemption 2. It is an extremely demanding title. It does a very good job of being both GPU and CPU intensive.

The game can still bring many modern-day CPUs to their knees when loading densely populated areas like Saint-Denis and Valentine. Today, we will put our CPUs up for this and see how they perform against each other in this demanding title.

1080p

Red Dead Redemption 2 also tends to prefer 12700K, as this game was running better in terms of both average fps and minimum fps on it. 12700K was roughly 1.4% ahead this time around while staying 2 fps ahead. Both CPUs provided a high refresh rate experience above 144 fps. 12700 K was just a little ahead at 146 fps.

Minimum fps also saw an above-average result for 12700K, as it was approximately 2.5% ahead this time. It managed to deliver 123 fps. Contrary to that, 12700KF just managed to reach the 120 fps mark. 

1440p

Similar patterns were observed at the higher 1440p resolution as to what was seen at the lower 1080p resolution. However, the difference seems to have narrowed down a bit. 12700K was still ahead, but this time with a rather insignificant difference on one single frame in average fps, which is well within the margin of error.

It was shy of just one frame from the sweet spot of 120 fps, peaking at 119. 12700KF, on the other hand, was on 118 fps. Minimum fps saw a bigger difference of around 2.1% in favor of 12700K, which was now able to render a minimum of 95 fps, compared to 93 fps on 12700KF.

Mafia Definitive Edition

Next up, we have Mafia Definitive Edition. The game looks and plays great on PC. It has DX11 API. Hence it scales really well on multiple CPU cores and threads.

Enabling hyperthreading also takes it to another level. We will be putting up our worthy contenders in this moderately demanding title to see how well they perform against each other.

1080p

Mafia Definitive Edition also ran better on our previous winner, 12700K, as it was ahead of its competitor in both average and minimum fps. It was performing 1.6% better in terms of average fps, averaging around 186 fps. 12700KF, on the other hand, was just able to average around 183.

Minimum fps also seemed to benefit from 12700K, but with a smaller margin of only 1.2% this time around. It managed to yield a stable 162 fps experience, whereas 12700KF, on the other hand, was just able to touch the 160 fps threshold. Let’s head over to 1440p and see if 12700K manages to retain its lead. 

1440p

Things get completely turned around at the higher 1440p resolution as 12700KF manages to come on top this time. It was performing better in terms of both average and minimum fps. The difference was relatively minor when it came to average fps as 12700KF was only a single frame ahead, averaging at around 154 fps. As opposed to that, 12700K was not far behind at 153 fps.

The gap seemed to widen a little in minimum fps in favor of 12700KF, as it was around 1.5% ahead this time. It just managed to yield a solid 130 fps experience. Compared to that, 12700K was just shy of 2 fps to reach the 130 fps threshold, peaking at 128. 

Hitman 3

Up next, we have Hitman 3. This game runs a lot better on PC than its predecessor Hitman 2, which scaled poorly on multiple. Hitman 3 finally scales extremely well on PC. The game struggles in densely populated areas, but nothing a beefy CPU can not handle.

Anything above six cores and the game will provide a smooth experience. Comparing these CPUs in this moderately demanding title will give us a realistic idea of how these CPUs perform in games like these.

1080p

This time, it’s the 12700K, with the lead and considerable gains over its competitor. It managed to retain the lead in both average fps and minimum. With the difference of 4 frames, 12700K was approximately 2% ahead in average fps, averaging around 207 fps. 12700KF, on the other hand, was at 203 fps. In terms of minimum fps, the lead got much shorter here, as 12700KF manages to reduce the difference to a single frame now.

It was just a single frame shy of 180 fps, yielded by 12700K while maxing out at 179 fps. Let’s head over to the higher 1440p resolution and see if 12700KF manages to regain the lead. 

1440p

At 1440p, we see 12700KF turning things around and coming on top this time around, as we anticipated in the previous 1080p resolution. It managed to dethrone its competitor by a margin of 1.2%, reaching a solid 160 fps mark. 12700K, on the other hand, was just shy of 2 frames, averaging at around 158 fps.

Minimum fps saw even smaller again, a mere 0.7% difference, but 12700KF retained the lead nevertheless. It managed to yield 135 minimum fps, whereas 12700K was one frame behind at 134 fps.

Also Check: Ryzen 7 7700X Vs Intel i7-12700K

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is next in line for our Intel Core i7 12700K vs Intel Core i7 12700KF benchmarks. Being a Ubisoft title, this game also does not have the best optimization. You will need at least a six-core CPU to run this game. Anything less than that, and the game will give micro stutters every now and then. The game scales perfectly on multiple threads, so this is one of the titles that can actually utilize a capable CPU. Combine that with its extreme dependency on both CPU and GPU, and we have ourselves a perfect tool to benchmark our competing CPUs.

1080p

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla tends to favor 12700K, as it manages to dethrone our former winner, 12700KF, in average and minimum fps. It is an above-average result in favor of 12700K, as it is leading by a whopping margin of 2.4%, which is some of the biggest differences we have observed in this benchmark so far.

The difference in minimum fps is pretty average, but our 12700K still manages to lead by 1.3%. It was able to deliver 146 minimum fps. Meanwhile, its competitor, 12700KF, was able to give a stable 144 minimum fps. Let’s see if switching over to the higher 1440p resolution changes anything. 

1440p

This is a formidable result for 12700KF, as it managed to close a whopping gap of 2.4%, previously observed on the lower 1080p resolution. Both CPUs are neck to neck in terms of average fps, averaging at 132 fps with zero difference. The game ran a bit smoother on 12700KF as it was one frame ahead of 12700K in terms of minimum fps, yielding 128 minimum fps. One frame behind was 12700K at 127 fps. 

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 is a little lighter on the CPU as compared to a GPU. It scales really well as we continue to upscale our core and thread count. Anything above 4 cores, and the game will run fine on your system.

Processors with better cache and higher single-core performance will tend to perform better in this game, which is why we will be putting up our worthy contenders to lock horns in this title. 

In Forza Horizon 5, we see our former winner, 12700K, retain its lead. Regarding average fps, 12700K is 1.5% ahead, providing a sweet 200 fps experience. Not far behind, it is 12700KF which is just 2 fps shy of the 200 fps mark. Minimum fps saw a much smaller difference of only 0.5% in favor of 12700K, which delivered 175 minimum fps. 12700KF was much closer this time around at 174 fps, being only a single frame behind its competitor. Let’s compare these two in the higher 1440p resolution and see if the same trend continues. 

1440p

The difference in 1440p is much smaller compared to what we saw previously on the lower 1080p resolution. 12700k manages to retain its lead once again in terms of average fps. However, this time around, it is only one frame ahead of its competitor, which is well within the margin of error. 12700K was able to run the game comfortably at 165 fps. One frame behind was 12700KF, averaging at 164 fps.

To 12700KF’s credit, it is exactly neck to neck with 12700K in terms of minimum fps. Both were able to yield exactly the same, 140 minimum fps experience. 

Days Gone

Days Gone was ported to PC last year. It turned out to be an excellent port. The game was extremely well-optimized, and modern-day CPUs and GPUs had no problems running it. So it will not be a demanding benchmark for our contenders. Next up, we will be putting up our CPUs to compete against each other in this fairly optimized title and see the performance difference between both.

1080p

After locking horns in Days gone, our former winner gets dethroned by 12700KF in this title. It managed to come on top with a respectable margin of 1.6%, running the game at stable 193 fps. Contrary to that, 12700K was just able to hit the 190 fps mark. The game ran considerably smoother on 12700 KF. T

his is primarily because it is 2.4% ahead of 12700K in terms of minimum fps, yielding 168 fps. Compared to that, 12700K was able to deliver 164 fps. So, we observe an above-average win for 12700KF at 1080p. Let us move to 1440p and see if 12700K can close the gap.  

1440p

The 1440p results paint the same picture, as our previous winner, 12700KF, comfortably retains its lead. The difference is smaller, though, as we are GPU bound on the higher resolution this time around. Nevertheless, 12700KF still manages to come on top with a margin of 1.2% this time around. It was able to provide a stable 160 fps experience, whereas its competitor, 12700K, was just 2 fps shy at 158 fps. The game once again ran smoother on 12700KF, as it was 2.2% ahead in terms of minimum fps. 136 minimum fps were supplied by 12700KF, while 12700K peaked at 133 fps. 

Far Cry 6

The last title we will be testing today in our Intel Core i7 12700K vs Intel Core i7 12700KF comparison is Far Cry 6. The game has major CPU optimization issues. It relies heavily on the CPU’s cores and threads despite being a DirectX 12 title. Older CPUs are expected to bottleneck heavily on this CPU-intensive game.

All these issues make it a perfect game to conclude our benchmark with, as it will give us a realistic scenario of how our competing CPUs will perform in badly optimized CPU-intensive titles. 

1080p

Far Cry 6 ended up being in favor of 12700K, which was able to take its lead back from 12700KF. The difference was much smaller this time around, as 12700K was only 1.1% ahead of its competitor. Both CPUs were able to cross the solid 180 fps threshold in terms of average fps, but 12700K was slightly ahead at 182 fps.

Minimum fps saw even a smaller difference as 12700K was only a single frame ahead of 12700KF this time. The minimum fps it was able to supply was 156. In comparison to that, 12700K was one frame behind at 155 fps. Let us take the same benchmark to the higher 1440p and observe the changes made. 

1440p

Both of our contenders were neck to neck at the higher 1440p resolution. 12700KF enjoyed a minor lead of one single frame in terms of average fps. It was able to supply a constant 145 fps experience. 12700K was one frame shy at 144 fps. The game ran perfectly smooth on both CPUs, as their minimum fps were exactly the same. Both were able to yield a minimum of 120 fps.

Similar Guides: Intel i7-12700K vs Intel i7-11700K

Overall Gaming Performance

From the Intel Core i7 12700K vs Intel Core i7 12700KF gaming benchmarks we have seen so far, it is safe to say that the Intel Core i7 12700K and 12700 KF are neck to neck in most games. Some games tend to run slightly better on 12700K, whereas other games prefer 12700KF but even in the worst case, we did not observe a difference of more than 2.5%.

Both of these CPUs will perform almost identically most of the time, depending on the game, resolution, and settings. Now, for a deeper analysis, we will take the average and minimum fps from each game and calculate the mean. This will give us a rough estimate of how each of these CPUs performs in most current-gen AAA titles.

1080p

Upon observation, it is fair to assume that both of our competitors are extremely neck-to-neck in 1080p. The difference is so minor that it is well within the margin of error. In terms of average fps, 12700K was slightly ahead but with a very insignificant margin of 0.28%. On the mean, from 11 games at 1080p, on average, it scored 176.8 fps. Slightly below it was 12700KF with an average of 176.3 fps in 11 games.

Despite being behind in terms of average fps, 12700KF managed to come on top when we calculated the mean of minimum fps. The difference, once again, was extremely insignificant, as it was only 0.26% ahead of its competitor.

On average, the minimum fps provided by 12700KF in 11 games at 1080p was 152.2 fps. Right underneath, it was 12700K with an average of 151.8 minimum fps. 

1440p

1440p saw even a smaller difference as compared to 1080p. However, this time around, it was 12700KF with the lead. But as anticipated earlier, the lead was minor, as 12700KF stayed only 0.21% ahead of 12700K. We calculated the mean of average fps from 11 different titles at 1440p resolution and observed that 12700KF was pushing out 141.4 fps on average. As compared to that, 12700 K’s mean average fps turned out to be around 141.1 fps.

12700KF enjoyed a slightly better lead on average in terms of minimum fps, as it was now 0.42% ahead of 12700K. The average minimum fps supplied by 12700KF in 11 titles at 1440p turned out to be around 119 fps.

Half a frame below was the average of 12700 K’s minimum fps at 118 fps. So overall, a win for 12700KF at 1440p but without a considerable margin. 

Power Consumption

Both 12700K and 12700KF have a very similar TDP at 125 watts. The power supply recommended for both of these CPUs is also the same at 600 watts. So, we can expect both of these CPUs to perform almost identically in terms of power consumption and thermal efficiency.

For a deeper analysis, we will observe the total power draw from both of our contenders in 11 different titles and calculate the mean out of it to see the difference in power consumption of these processors. 

As anticipated earlier, the power draw from both of our CPUs is extremely identical. 12700K was drawing slightly more power at 112.04 watts on average. In comparison to that, 12700KF was drawing around 111.78 watts on average.

A very minor 0.2% difference was observed between the power consumption of both of our contenders, so it would be unfair to say that one is more power efficient compared to another. Both of these are solid options to go for if you have a power supply of 600 watts and above. 

Pricing And Availability

In November of 2021, both 12700K ad 12700KF were released at the launch price of $409 and $384, respectively. 12700KF was approximately 6% cheaper when both of these CPUs were launched. However, that is not the case right now. These CPUs are selling for much cheaper than they were initially launched.

Nowadays, you can find the 12700K for around $323 on amazon. In contrast, 12700KF is going for around $296. This is a much more attractive price compared to their lunch prices which makes these CPUs very good bang for the buck for the gaming performance they are providing. 

Both of these are extremely good options for the price they are being sold at. However, we have to give it to 12700KF for being the better bang for the buck. It was 6% cheaper than 12700K at launch. Nowadays, it’s anywhere between 8-10% cheaper.

If you consider the fact that both of these CPUs are nearly identical in performance, 12700KF sounds like a no-brainer because of the performance it provides at the given price.

Which One Should You Go For?

Intel Core i7 12700K vs Core i7 12700KF are two of the best mid-ranged CPUs you can find in the market right now that offer excellent single-core and gaming performance. They are almost identical in every way.

The majority of the specs are also the same. They perform quite identically in most of the games we have tested, and you are unlikely to find the difference between both. 

Which one you should go for only comes down to whether or not you have a dedicated GPU on hand. If you don’t have a dedicated GPU on you, 12700K is the obvious choice here. Since it is the only CPU between both of these that has onboard graphics.

With 12700KF, you are not going to get even a display until you pair it with a dedicated graphics card. So, if you do not have a graphics card, 12700K is a no-brainer.

It is also worth mentioning that if you ever run into a GPU-related issue, you will lose the entire use of your PC if you go with 12700KF. However, with 12700K, you can use it without a dedicated GPU since it has onboard graphics.

The integrated graphics also come in handy as a backup when trying to troubleshoot your PC for graphics-related problems, arguably making it much easier. 

Contrary to that, if you have a dedicated graphics card, you can go with 12700KF and save some bucks, which you can then spend on other components. It performs nearly the same as 12700K, if not better, draws the same amount of power, and is identical in almost every way.

Most Ryzen CPUs also do not have an integrated GPU on board. They have still managed to find their place in the market, so if you are on a limited budget and plan to get a dedicated GPU, saving some money by getting 12700KF and spending that extra amount on a better GPU will make more sense. 

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