Celeron B820 vs Core i7-12700K

Celeron B820

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2012

Core i7-12700K

12 Cores20 Thrd125 WWMax: 5 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Celeron B820

2 / 2

765

0.0%

34,347

+4389.8%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. The Celeron B820 is positioned at rank #1109 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron B820

#1097

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3297%

#1098

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3248%

#1099

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2982%

#1100

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2969%

#1101

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2941%

#1103

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2840%

#1104

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2724%

#1105

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2719%

#1106

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2646%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

100%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

99%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

99%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

98%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

98%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

97%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

97%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

97%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

96%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

96%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

96%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

95%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

94%

#1123

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-12700K

#113

Core i7-14700F

MSRP: $359|Avg: $330

104%

#114

Ryzen 3 PRO 3200G

MSRP: $89|Avg: $52

104%

#115

Core i9-14900K

MSRP: $589|Avg: $469

104%

#116

Ryzen 5 PRO 5655GE

MSRP: $146|Avg: $146

103%

#117

Core i7-13790F

MSRP: $392|Avg: $350

103%

#118

Core i5-14500

MSRP: $239|Avg: $251

103%

#119

Core i5-11600KF

MSRP: $237|Avg: $157

103%

#120

Ryzen 5 5600XT

MSRP: $192|Avg: $180

103%

#121

Core i5-13600

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

102%

#122

Core i3-13100F

MSRP: $109|Avg: $119

102%

#123

Ryzen 5 5600G

MSRP: $259|Avg: $160

102%

#124

Core Ultra 9 285K

MSRP: $589|Avg: $550

102%

#125

Core i5-13400E

MSRP: $221|Avg: $221

101%

#126

Ryzen 7 8700F

MSRP: $270|Avg: $257

101%

#127

Core i9-14900KF

MSRP: $564|Avg: $480

101%

#128

Core i7-12700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $285

100%

#129

Core i9-13900KF

MSRP: $599|Avg: $480

100%

#130

Core i7-12700

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

100%

#131

Core Ultra 5 245T

MSRP: $270|Avg: $270

100%

#132

Core i5-8500

MSRP: $192|Avg: $80

99%

#133

Core i5-9400F

MSRP: $182|Avg: $80

98%

#134

Core i5-11400

MSRP: $182|Avg: $141

98%

#135

Core i5-13600K

MSRP: $329|Avg: $319

98%

#136

Core i5-13500

MSRP: $242|Avg: $264

98%

#137

Ryzen 7 8700G

MSRP: $329|Avg: $269

98%

#138

Core i7-14700

MSRP: $384|Avg: $348

98%

#139

Ryzen 5 2500X

MSRP: $159|Avg: $80

97%

#140

Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

97%

#141

Core i9-13900K

MSRP: $599|Avg: $500

97%

#142

Core i3-14100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $131

96%

#143

Ryzen 5 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i7-12700K (2021) utilizes 10 nm technology and DDR4, DDR5, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Celeron B820	Core i7-12700K
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($285)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Celeron B820 (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Celeron B820	Core i7-12700K
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+136%)
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($285)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Celeron B820 Benchmark Check

Core i7-12700K Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron B820 and Core i7-12700K

Celeron B820

The Celeron B820 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 July 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 765 points. Launch price was $86.

Core i7-12700K

The Core i7-12700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture. It features 12 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,347 points. Launch price was $409.

⚡

Processing Power

The Celeron B820 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Core i7-12700K offers 12 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-12700K has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.7 GHz on the Celeron B820 versus 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K — a 98.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700K (base: 1.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Celeron B820 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-12700K uses Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron B820 scores 765 against the Core i7-12700K's 34,347 — a 191.3% lead for the Core i7-12700K. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron B820 vs 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K.

Feature	Celeron B820	Core i7-12700K
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	12 / 20+500%
Boost Clock	1.7 GHz	5 GHz+194%
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	3.6 GHz+112%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+1150%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	32 nm	10 nm-69%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)
PassMark	765	34,347+4390%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Celeron B820 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-12700K uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Celeron B820 versus 4800 on the Core i7-12700K — the Core i7-12700K supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-12700K supports up to 128 of RAM compared to 16 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Celeron B820) vs 20 (Core i7-12700K) — the Core i7-12700K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: HM65,HM67,QM67,QM77 (Celeron B820) and Z690,B660 (Core i7-12700K).

Feature	Celeron B820	Core i7-12700K
Socket	PGA988	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 5.0+150%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	4800+159900%
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB+13107100%	128
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-12700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x (Celeron B820) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700K). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) (Celeron B820) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-12700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron B820 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron B820 rivals Pentium 967; Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Celeron B820	Core i7-12700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge)	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Budget	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Celeron B820 launched at $86 MSRP, while the Core i7-12700K debuted at $409. At current prices ($15 vs $285), the Celeron B820 is $270 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Celeron B820 delivers 51.0 pts/$ vs 120.5 pts/$ for the Core i7-12700K — making the Core i7-12700K the 81.1% better value option.