MSI High end
Check on Amazon MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi
$199–$220
Z790 tuning for unlocked CPUs
Intel Core i7-12700KF
- Brand
- Intel
- Model
- Intel Core i7-12700KF
Intel Core i7-12700KF: 12th‑Gen Alder Lake, 12C/20T up to 5.0 GHz; unlocked LGA1700 CPU for 1080p/1440p gaming and creator work; no iGPU; released Nov 4, 2021.
Compute rankTop 21% of CPUs
TierHigh end?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which.
ReleasedNov 2021
As an Amazon Associate, GixCore earns from qualifying purchases.Pricing note?This range is based on our last recorded catalog price and is not a quote. Check Amazon for the current price.
Cores12
Threads20
SocketFCLGA1700
MemoryDDR4 / DDR5
Base clock3.60 GHz
Boost clock5 GHz
TDP125 W
Cache12 MB L2 + 25 MB L3
GixCore Editorial
Product overview
Launched with Intel’s 12th‑Gen Alder Lake desktop stack, the Core i7‑12700KF reached broad retail availability on November 4, 2021. It’s a 12‑core (8P+4E), 20‑thread part on Intel 7 with 3.6 GHz base and up to 5.0 GHz boost, for LGA1700 motherboards across 600‑ and 700‑series chipsets, and supports DDR4‑3200 or DDR5‑4800. As a KF model, it requires discrete graphics.
Positioned in the high_end i7 tier, it exists to deliver strong gaming and creator performance below Core i9 pricing while remaining overclockable. It’s well‑suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming, streaming, and prosumer video editing on the LGA1700 platform. Not discontinued as of July 2026, though Intel has begun the Alder Lake discontinuance program with last‑order dates in mid/late 2026 and final shipments in early 2027.
Best for
Official product specifications - 1080p gaming
- 1440p gaming
- streaming
- video editing
- office/productivity
Pairing fit
Compatible Motherboards
Compatible options ranked for this part's performance class. See all 15 →
ASUS High end
Check on Amazon Prime Z790-A WiFi 6E
$123–$136
Z790 tuning for unlocked CPUs
Asus High end
Check on Amazon ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
$547–$605
Z790 tuning for unlocked CPUs
Asus High end
Check on Amazon TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi
$215–$237
Z790 tuning for unlocked CPUs
Gigabyte High end
Check on Amazon Z790 AORUS Elite AX
$180–$199
Z790 tuning for unlocked CPUs
Gigabyte High end
Check on Amazon Z790 Eagle AX
$161–$178
Z790 tuning for unlocked CPUsBudget pairings6 lower-tier compatible options
Gigabyte Mainstream
Check on Amazon B760 AORUS Elite AX
$114–$126
B760 platform match
MSI Mainstream
Check on Amazon MAG B760 Tomahawk WiFi
$136–$150
B760 platform match
MSI Mainstream
Check on Amazon PRO B760-P WiFi DDR4
$133–$147
B760 platform match
ASUS Mainstream
Check on Amazon TUF GAMING B760-PLUS WIFI
$161–$178
B760 platform match
Gigabyte Budget
Check on Amazon B760M Gaming Plus WiFi DDR4
$142–$157
B760 platform match
ASRock Budget
Check on Amazon B760M Pro RS
$104–$115
B760 platform matchPairing fit
Compatible RAM kits
Compatible options ranked for this part's performance class.
Kingston High end
Check on Amazon KF564C32BBEAK2-64 64GB DDR5-6400
$1,272–$1,406
DDR5-6400 sweet spot
TEAMGROUP High end
Check on Amazon T-Force XTREEM DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 6400MHz CL32 FFXD532G6400HC32ADC01
$551–$609
DDR5-6400 sweet spot
KLEVV High end
Check on Amazon Bolt V DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30
$500–$552
DDR5-6000 sweet spot
Corsair High end
Check on Amazon CMK32GX5M2B6000C30 32GB DDR5-6000
$523–$578
DDR5-6000 sweet spot
G.SKILL High end
Check on Amazon F5-6000J3038F16GX2-TZ5NR 32GB DDR5-6000
$608–$672
DDR5-6000 sweet spot
V-Color High end
Check on Amazon Manta XSky DDR5 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30
$456–$504
DDR5-6000 sweet spotBudget pairings6 lower-tier compatible options
PNY High end
Check on Amazon XLR8 Gaming 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 4000MHz
$118–$130
DDR4 compatible value option
PNY Enthusiast
Check on Amazon XLR8 Gaming 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-4600
$118–$130
DDR4 compatible value optionPNY Enthusiast
Check on Amazon XLR8 Gaming 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-4400
$118–$130
DDR4 compatible value optionPNY Enthusiast
Check on Amazon XLR8 Gaming 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-4200
$118–$130
DDR4 compatible value option
Timetec Mainstream
Check on Amazon 32GB KIT (2x16GB) DDR5 5600MHz PC5-44800 UDIMM Desktop Memory
$465–$514
DDR5-5600 memory match
Kingston Mainstream
Check on Amazon KF556C40BB-16 16GB DDR5-5600
$359–$397
DDR5-5600 memory matchSpecifications
At a glance iDots are a representative catalog sample. Farther right means a higher measured value, not necessarily a better fit.Measured against the CPUs catalog
Current modelCatalog sample
Cores12
Higher than 75% of CPUs
Threads20
Higher than 75% of CPUs
Boost clock5 GHZ
Higher than 70% of CPUs
RAM speed3200 MT/s
Higher than 68% of CPUs
- Cores
- 12
- Threads
- 20
- Socket
- FCLGA1700
- Memory
- DDR4-3200 / DDR5-4800
- Base clock
- 3.6 GHZ
- Boost clock
- 5 GHZ
- TDP
- 125 W
- Cache
- 37 MB
- Generation
- 12
- Bus Speed
- 8 GT/s
- Max Memory Size
- 128 GB
- ECC Support
- No
- Hyper Threading
- Yes
- Turbo Boost
- 2.0
- Chipset
- 600/700 Series
- Ram Speed
- 3200 MT/s