

Intel’s Kaby Lake i7 Core CPUs included only four cores but the more modern Alder Lake family of i7 CPUs feature up to 16 cores and standard clock speeds that range go up to 5.00 Ghz.Īt this point, you may be wondering just how important clock speeds are. Again, you’re looking at both faster average clock speeds and additional cores. This includes processors like the Intel Core i5-12400, Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Core i5-12500. However, in recent times (like the 12th-Gen Alder Lake refresh), Intel have upped the ante to between 6-12 cores for many of their i5 CPUs. In years past, Intel’s Core i5 CPU line-up has generally been built around CPUs with up to four-cores. More cores means these CPUs can handle more threads at once and faster clock speeds mean they can complete tasks more efficiently. Part of this comes down to additional cores. Part of this comes down to faster average clock speeds. They tend to be found inside PCs that target a more budget-conscious market-segment where the need for a device to be affordable eclipses the demand for higher performance.Īs you’d expect, Intel’s Core i5 processors tend to be more powerful than their i3 counterparts. The reason for this is that i3 processors are designed to hit a lower price-point more than they are push boundaries for performance.

For example, some 12th generation Intel Core i3 processors can have up to 10 cores. This used to be just two cores, but more recently Core i3 processors with higher core counts have been released. While there isn’t a hard and fast rule around it, you’re also more likely to find less cores in a Core i3 than you are in a Core i5 or i7.
