Core i7-12700K vs Xeon Gold 6148

Core i7-12700K

12 Cores20 Thrd125 WWMax: 5 GHz2021

Xeon Gold 6148

20 Cores40 Thrd150 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-12700K

12 / 20

34,347

+18.4%

29,021

0.0%

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. 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 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 Per Dollar Xeon Gold 6148

#482

Xeon 6724P

MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622

111%

#483

EPYC 9634

MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949

111%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

110%

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

108%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

108%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

107%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

107%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

106%

#491

EPYC 7742

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800

106%

#492

Xeon Platinum 8352M

MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471

105%

#493

Xeon Platinum 8570

MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595

103%

#494

EPYC 9184X

MSRP: $4928|Avg: $3750

102%

#495

Xeon Platinum 8470

MSRP: $9359|Avg: $9359

102%

#496

Xeon E7-8857 v2

MSRP: $3838|Avg: $2995

100%

#497

Xeon Gold 6148

MSRP: $3072|Avg: $290

100%

#498

Xeon E5-1681 V3

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $200

99%

#499

Xeon W-3275

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $1550

98%

#500

Xeon Gold 6138

MSRP: $2612|Avg: $300

98%

#501

Xeon E5-2690 v4

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

97%

#502

Xeon Platinum 8362

MSRP: $6236|Avg: $5740

96%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

96%

#504

Xeon E5-2660 v3

MSRP: $1445|Avg: $150

95%

#505

Xeon E5-2679 v4

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $500

94%

#506

Xeon E5-2680 v3

MSRP: $1745|Avg: $212

90%

#507

Xeon Platinum 8562Y+

MSRP: $5945|Avg: $7000

89%

#508

Xeon E7-8895 v2

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $65

88%

#509

EPYC 9754

MSRP: $11900|Avg: $10631

88%

#509

EPYC 9684X

MSRP: $14756|Avg: $14756

88%

#511

Xeon D-1587

MSRP: $1652|Avg: $1443

87%

#512

Xeon E5-2687W v4

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $1138

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($290) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6148 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Gold 6148
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($285)	⚠️ Higher cost ($290)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) / 10 nm)	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-12700K ($285), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($5 less, 2% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Gold 6148
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+20%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($285)	⚠️ Higher cost ($290)

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.

Core i7-12700K Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6148 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-12700K and Xeon Gold 6148

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.

Xeon Gold 6148

The Xeon Gold 6148 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 29,021 points. Launch price was $3,072.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-12700K packs 12 cores / 20 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6148 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6148 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-12700K versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6148 — a 29.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-12700K uses the Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6148 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-12700K scores 34,347 against the Xeon Gold 6148's 29,021 — a 16.8% lead for the Core i7-12700K. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700K vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6148.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Gold 6148
Cores / Threads	12 / 20	20 / 40+67%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+35%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)	27.5 MB+10%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	20 MB+1500%
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake, Golden Cove, Gracemont (2021)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	34,347+18%	29,021
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,254
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,445

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-12700K uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 6148 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Core i7-12700K versus DDR4-2666 on the Xeon Gold 6148 — the Core i7-12700K supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6148 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-12700K) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6148). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-12700K) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6148) — the Xeon Gold 6148 offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z690,B660 (Core i7-12700K) and C620 (Xeon Gold 6148).

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Gold 6148
Socket	LGA1700	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+119900%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128	768 GB+629145500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	✅	✅
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-12700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon Gold 6148 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Gold 6148). The Core i7-12700K includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 770), while the Xeon Gold 6148 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Xeon Gold 6148 targets Legacy Enterprise Workloads. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700K rivals Ryzen 7 5800X; Xeon Gold 6148 rivals EPYC 7401.

Feature	Core i7-12700K	Xeon Gold 6148
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Intel UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Legacy Enterprise Workloads

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-12700K launched at $409 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6148 debuted at $3072. At current prices ($285 vs $290), the Core i7-12700K is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-12700K delivers 120.5 pts/$ vs 100.1 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6148 — making the Core i7-12700K the 18.5% better value option.