CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i5-3470 and Intel Core i7-12700E represent two vastly different eras of desktop computing, and the benchmark data leaves no doubt about the hierarchy between them. The i7-12700E wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the dataset, often by margins exceeding 80%. However, the i5-3470 is not without its own context, as its average benchmark score of 6906 places it in the 63rd percentile of all CPUs, while the i7-12700E’s average of 6776 lands in the 62nd percentile. This is a curious inversion: the older chip has a higher percentile despite being drastically slower in every direct comparison, a quirk driven by the fact that the i7-12700E’s nearest rivals are high-end workstation parts like the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX and Intel Xeon Gold 6154, whereas the i5-3470 sits alongside chips like the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G and Intel Core i3-1115G4.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-12700E wins in every measurable category, making this a one-sided comparison in terms of raw performance. The data shows that the i7-12700E dominates in multi-threaded workloads, where its 12 cores and 20 threads crush the i5-3470’s 4 cores and 4 threads. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i7-12700E scores 23879 against the i5-3470’s 3957, a gap of 83.4%. Similarly, in Geekbench multi-core, the i7-12700E posts 10676 versus 2015, an 81.1% advantage. These are not marginal improvements; they represent a generational leap in parallel processing capability.

Single-threaded performance tells the same story. The i7-12700E achieves 3371 in Cinebench R23 single-core compared to the i5-3470’s 558, an 83.4% delta. In Geekbench single-core, the i7-12700E scores 2094 against 715, a 65.9% advantage. This means even in lightly threaded applications, the newer chip is dramatically faster, thanks to its higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz versus 3.60 GHz and its newer architecture.

The i5-3470’s only "win" is contextual. Its percentile rank of 63 is one point higher than the i7-12700E’s 62, but this reflects the competitive landscape around each chip, not actual performance superiority. The i5-3470’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G, has an average score of 6931, which is only 0.4% higher, while the i7-12700E’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX, scores 6760, just 0.2% lower. In practical terms, the i7-12700E is the clear winner for any workload that benefits from modern CPU performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is massive, reflecting nearly a decade of Intel development. The i5-3470 uses the Ivy Bridge architecture, built on a 22 nm process node, while the i7-12700E uses Alder Lake-S, built on a 10 nm node. This node shrink allows for significantly more transistors in a similar physical footprint: the i5-3470 has 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, while the i7-12700E has a 215 mm² die (transistor count is not listed for the newer chip).

Core configuration is the most striking difference. The i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads, a classic quad-core design. The i7-12700E has 12 cores and 20 threads, indicating a hybrid architecture with performance and efficiency cores, though the exact core mix is not specified in the data. Cache hierarchies are also radically different. The i5-3470 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-12700E has 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. The L3 cache difference alone, 25 MB versus 6 MB, explains a significant portion of the performance gap in cache-sensitive workloads.

Memory support diverges as well. The i5-3470 supports only DDR3 memory with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The i7-12700E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also on a dual-channel bus, though its memory bandwidth is not listed. The i7-12700E also offers a much newer PCIe interface: Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only), compared to the i5-3470’s Gen 3 with 16 lanes. Integrated graphics have been upgraded from Intel HD 2500 on the i5-3470 to UHD Graphics 770 on the i7-12700E. Both processors are socket-specific, with the i5-3470 on Socket 1155 and the i7-12700E on Socket 1700, meaning they are not interchangeable in any motherboard.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700E is overwhelmingly faster. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 23879 versus the i5-3470’s 3957, an 83.4% advantage. Geekbench multi-core shows a similar gap, with the i7-12700E at 10676 and the i5-3470 at 2015.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the i5-3470 wins?

A: No. The head-to-head dataset shows the i7-12700E winning all 8 benchmarks. The i5-3470 does have a higher percentile rank (63rd vs 62nd), but this is relative to different competitor pools, not a direct performance win.

Q: How do their single-core performances compare?

A: The i7-12700E is far ahead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 3371 against the i5-3470’s 558, an 83.4% delta. In Geekbench single-core, the i7-12700E scores 2094 versus 715, a 65.9% advantage.

Q: What are the key architectural differences?

A: The i5-3470 uses 22 nm Ivy Bridge with 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-12700E uses 10 nm Alder Lake-S with 12 cores and 20 threads. The i7-12700E has significantly more cache (25 MB L3 vs 6 MB) and supports DDR4/DDR5 memory, whereas the i5-3470 is limited to DDR3.

Q: Do they use the same socket?

A: No. The i5-3470 uses Intel Socket 1155, while the i7-12700E uses Intel Socket 1700. They are physically incompatible and require different motherboards.

Q: Which processor has better integrated graphics?

A: The i7-12700E has UHD Graphics 770, a much newer and more capable iGPU than the i5-3470’s Intel HD 2500. This is consistent with the newer architecture and higher performance class of the i7-12700E.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification field. The i5-3470 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-12700E has 12 cores and 20 threads. Base clocks are 3.20 GHz for the i5-3470 versus 2.10 GHz for the i7-12700E, but boost clocks reverse this trend: the i7-12700E boosts to 4.80 GHz, far above the i5-3470’s 3.60 GHz. Thermal design power is similar, with the i5-3470 rated at 77W and the i7-12700E at 65W, though the newer chip delivers vastly more performance within that envelope.

Process technology advances from 22 nm to 10 nm. The i5-3470 has 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die; the i7-12700E has no listed transistor count but a larger 215 mm² die. Cache sizes are uniformly larger on the i7-12700E: L1 is 80 KB per core versus 64 KB, L2 is 1.25 MB per core versus 256 KB, and L3 is 25 MB shared versus 6 MB shared. Memory support moves from DDR3 to DDR4/DDR5, though both use dual-channel buses. PCIe support jumps from Gen 3 with 16 lanes to Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Integrated graphics upgrade from HD 2500 to UHD 770. The i5-3470 is end-of-life with a release date of 2012-05-31 and a launch MSRP of $184, while the i7-12700E is active production with a launch MSRP of $344. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, and both are desktop parts with ECC memory support absent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is starkly one-sided, with the i7-12700E winning all eight comparisons. The largest margins come in multi-core tests. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-12700E scores 2406 against the i5-3470’s 398, an 83.5% delta. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 10029 versus 1661, an 83.4% gap, and Cinebench R23 multi-core follows with 23879 versus 3957, also 83.4%. Geekbench multi-core is slightly less lopsided at 81.1% (10676 versus 2015), but still a dominant victory.

Single-core tests show similar patterns. Cinebench R15 single-core has the i7-12700E at 339 versus the i5-3470’s 56, an 83.5% delta. Cinebench R20 single-core is 1415 versus 234, an 83.5% gap, and Cinebench R23 single-core is 3371 versus 558, an 83.4% delta. The smallest margin in the entire dataset is Geekbench single-core, where the i7-12700E scores 2094 against 715, a 65.9% advantage. Even this "smallest" gap represents the i7-12700E being nearly three times faster. Across all tests, the deltas are remarkably consistent, hovering around 83% for most Cinebench tests and dropping to 65.9% for Geekbench single-core, indicating that architectural improvements benefit both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads equally.

The i5-3470’s performance relative to its own rivals provides context. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G, has an average score of 6931, which is 0.4% higher than the i5-3470’s 6906. The i5-3470 also edges out the Intel Core i9-9960X by 0.5% and the Intel Xeon W-2195 by 0.2%, while trailing the Intel Core i3-1115G4 by 0.8%. These are all within a 1% band, suggesting the i5-3470 is competitive with lower-end modern chips. The i7-12700E, by contrast, is grouped with workstation and server processors: it trails the Intel Xeon Gold 6154 by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX by 0.2%, while beating the Intel Xeon D-2775TE and Intel Xeon Gold 5317 by 1% each.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-12700E is the superior processor in every head-to-head benchmark, with margins of 65.9% to 83.5% across all tests. Anyone choosing between these two for a new build should select the i7-12700E without hesitation. Its 12 cores and 20 threads, 25 MB of L3 cache, and 4.80 GHz boost clock deliver performance that the i5-3470 cannot approach, whether the workload is multi-threaded rendering or single-threaded responsiveness. The i7-12700E’s newer 10 nm architecture, DDR4/DDR5 memory support, and Gen 5 PCIe also provide a modern platform that the i5-3470’s 22 nm Ivy Bridge design cannot match.

The i5-3470’s only claim to relevance is its higher percentile rank (63rd versus 62nd), but this is a statistical artifact of its competitor pool, not a performance advantage. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 3200G and Intel Core i3-1115G4, while the i7-12700E is compared against AMD Ryzen Threadripper and Intel Xeon parts. In absolute terms, the i5-3470 is end-of-life, released in 2012 with a 77W TDP, and its 4 cores and 4 threads are simply insufficient for modern demanding workloads. For legacy systems or basic tasks, the i5-3470 remains functional, but the benchmark results indicate that the i7-12700E is the only sensible choice for anyone seeking current-generation performance. The verdict is clear: the i7-12700E wins outright, and the i5-3470 is a relic of a previous era.