Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i7-10700F Comparison

The Intel Core i5-12500 and Intel Core i7-10700F occupy the same performance percentile (73rd) among all CPUs, yet they achieve this through fundamentally different designs. The newer 6-core i5-12500 leverages a 10 nm process and higher single-thread throughput, while the older 8-core i7-10700F uses a 14 nm process and relies on additional cores. Head-to-head data shows the i5-12500 wins 18 of 25 benchmarks, but the i7-10700F claims 7 victories, primarily in multi-threaded and specific data-processing tasks. This split makes the choice highly workload-dependent.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500 has an average benchmark score of 19668, which is 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-10700F’s 19499. Both CPUs sit at the 73rd percentile against all CPUs.

Q: How do the two CPUs compare in single-threaded performance?

A: The i5-12500 leads decisively in single-thread tests. It scores 3666 in Passmark single-thread versus 2875 for the i7-10700F, a 27.5% advantage. In Geekbench single-core, the i5-12500 scores 1969 against 1555, a 26.6% lead.

Q: Does the i7-10700F ever outperform the i5-12500?

A: Yes, in 7 of 25 head-to-head benchmarks. The i7-10700F wins in 3DMark 16-thread (6476 vs 6007), 3DMark 8-thread (5039 vs 4862), and 3DMark max-thread (6679 vs 6023). It also wins Passmark data compression (253358 vs 238753), extended instructions (16389 vs 16090), integer math (62579 vs 61626), and random string sorting (31625 vs 23523).

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in Passmark data encryption, where the i5-12500 scores 12033 versus 5378 for the i7-10700F — a 123.7% advantage. The next largest is Passmark find prime numbers, with the i5-12500 ahead by 59.6% (75 vs 47).

Q: Are there any architectural differences that explain the performance split?

A: The i5-12500 uses Alder Lake architecture on a 10 nm process with 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core. The i7-10700F uses Comet Lake on a 14 nm process with 16 MB shared L3 and 256 KB L2 per core. The i5-12500 also supports DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5, while the i7-10700F is limited to DDR4 and PCIe Gen 3.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i5-12500 includes UHD Graphics 770, while the Intel Core i7-10700F has no integrated graphics. This means the i7-10700F requires a discrete GPU for any display output.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split: the Intel Core i5-12500 is the superior choice for most users, while the Intel Core i7-10700F retains specific niches. The i5-12500 wins 18 of 25 benchmarks, including every Cinebench test (R15, R20, R23) in both single and multi-core variants. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16759 is 22.4% higher than the i7-10700F’s 13689, despite having two fewer cores and four fewer threads. The i5-12500 also dominates in Passmark multithread (19893 vs 16227, a 22.6% lead) and physics (1242 vs 803, a 54.7% lead).

For users prioritizing single-thread responsiveness, the i5-12500 is the unambiguous pick. Its Passmark single-thread score of 3666 is 27.5% higher, and its 3DMark single-thread score of 951 is 19.9% higher. This translates to snappier everyday use and better performance in lightly threaded applications. The i5-12500 also offers a massive advantage in data encryption (123.7% higher) and prime number finding (59.6% higher), making it better for security-related or mathematical workloads.

The i7-10700F makes sense only for specific workloads that exploit its 8-core/16-thread configuration and particular instruction patterns. It wins 3DMark 16-thread, 8-thread, and max-thread tests, with deltas of -7.2%, -3.5%, and -9.8% respectively. It also leads in Passmark data compression (253358 vs 238753), integer math (62579 vs 61626), random string sorting (31625 vs 23523), and extended instructions (16389 vs 16090). These wins, however, are mostly modest (under 6%), with random string sorting being the largest at 25.6% in its favor.

Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not a differentiating factor. Both have a 65 W TDP, meaning power consumption is identical on paper. The i5-12500’s newer architecture and process node give it a substantial efficiency-per-core advantage, as evidenced by its higher scores across the board. For a new build, the i5-12500 is the stronger recommendation. For an existing Socket 1200 platform upgrade, the i7-10700F could be a reasonable drop-in, but the data shows it loses most head-to-head matchups.

Where Each One Wins

Intel Core i5-12500 — Single-thread and general compute: The i5-12500 wins every single-thread test in the dataset. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 951 vs 793 (19.9% higher). Cinebench R23 single-core shows 2366 vs 1932 (22.5% higher). Geekbench single-core is 1969 vs 1555 (26.6% higher). This translates to better performance in applications that rely on one or two cores, such as web browsing, office productivity, and light coding tasks.

Intel Core i5-12500 — Cinebench and rendering: The i5-12500 wins all Cinebench tests by roughly 22-23%. Cinebench R15 multi-core is 1689 vs 1379 (22.5% higher), R20 multi-core is 7038 vs 5749 (22.4% higher), and R23 multi-core is 16759 vs 13689 (22.4% higher). This indicates a clear advantage in 3D rendering and content creation workloads that scale with multi-threaded performance, despite the core deficit.

Intel Core i5-12500 — Encryption and math: Passmark data encryption shows a 123.7% advantage (12033 vs 5378). Passmark find prime numbers is 59.6% higher (75 vs 47). Floating-point math is 24.4% higher (48004 vs 38578). Physics simulation is 54.7% higher (1242 vs 803). These wins suggest architectural superiority in AES, prime number sieving, and floating-point operations.

Intel Core i7-10700F — High-thread-count 3DMark: The i7-10700F wins 3DMark 16-thread (6476 vs 6007), 8-thread (5039 vs 4862), and max-thread (6679 vs 6023). The deltas are -7.2%, -3.5%, and -9.8% respectively. This suggests that in certain graphics-related physics or simulation workloads that heavily utilize 8+ threads, the extra cores provide a measurable edge.

Intel Core i7-10700F — Data compression and sorting: Passmark data compression goes to the i7-10700F at 253358 vs 238753 (5.8% higher). Random string sorting is 31625 vs 23523 (25.6% higher). Integer math is 62579 vs 61626 (1.5% higher). Extended instructions is 16389 vs 16090 (1.8% higher). These wins indicate strengths in file compression, database sorting, and integer-heavy operations.

Intel Core i5-12500 — Passmark multithread: The i5-12500 wins Passmark multithread with 19893 vs 16227, a 22.6% advantage. This is notable because it contradicts the 3DMark multi-thread results, suggesting that the i5-12500’s architecture scales better in CPU-centric multithreaded workloads even with fewer cores.

Specification Differences

The Intel Core i5-12500 and Intel Core i7-10700F differ in several fundamental specifications. The i5-12500 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the i7-10700F has 8 cores and 16 threads. Base clocks are close: 3.00 GHz for the i5-12500 versus 2.90 GHz for the i7-10700F. Boost clocks differ more significantly: the i7-10700F boosts to 4.80 GHz, while the i5-12500 boosts to 4.60 GHz.

The socket is a major differentiator. The i5-12500 uses Intel Socket 1700, while the i7-10700F uses Intel Socket 1200. These are physically incompatible, so platform choice dictates which CPU is possible. Memory support also differs: the i5-12500 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i7-10700F supports only DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the i7-10700F lists a memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s, while the i5-12500 does not report a specific bandwidth figure.

PCIe support is another split. The i5-12500 offers Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the i7-10700F offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). Integrated graphics are present on the i5-12500 (UHD Graphics 770) but absent on the i7-10700F. The i5-12500 has a launch MSRP of $212, while the i7-10700F has no launch MSRP listed. Both CPUs have locked multipliers.

Cache configurations differ. The i5-12500 has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. The i7-10700F has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3. The i5-12500’s larger L2 cache (1.25 MB vs 256 KB per core) is a significant architectural difference that likely contributes to its single-thread advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs represent different generations of Intel design. The i5-12500 is based on Alder Lake architecture (codenamed Alder Lake-S) and belongs to the Core 12th Gen series. The i7-10700F is based on Comet Lake architecture (codenamed Comet Lake) and belongs to the Core 10th Gen series. The i5-12500 uses a 10 nm process node, while the i7-10700F uses a 14 nm process node. Both are manufactured by Intel.

The die size is listed for the i5-12500 at 163 mm², but no die size is reported for the i7-10700F. The i5-12500’s smaller process node allows for more efficient transistor density, which explains its superior performance-per-watt despite both CPUs having a 65 W TDP. Neither CPU supports ECC memory.

The cache hierarchy differs substantially. The i5-12500 allocates 80 KB of L1 per core versus 64 KB for the i7-10700F. L2 cache is dramatically different: 1.25 MB per core on the i5-12500 versus 256 KB per core on the i7-10700F. This 5x difference in L2 cache per core is a major architectural advantage for the i5-12500, allowing it to keep more data closer to the execution cores. L3 cache is 18 MB shared on the i5-12500 versus 16 MB shared on the i7-10700F.

The i5-12500 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the i7-10700F is limited to DDR4. The i5-12500 also features PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes, double the bandwidth capability of the i7-10700F’s PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes. The i5-12500 includes UHD Graphics 770, making it a complete package for systems without a discrete GPU, whereas the i7-10700F requires a graphics card for any display output.

The i5-12500 was released on 2022-01-03, while the i7-10700F was released on 2020-04-29. The i5-12500’s part number is SRL5V, and the i7-10700F’s part number is SRH70. Both CPUs are listed as Active production status and target the Desktop market segment. The architectural differences — particularly the process node, cache hierarchy, and memory support — explain the i5-12500’s dominance in most benchmarks despite having fewer cores.