How fast is 12th Gen Intel Core?
When we announced the new Framework Laptop with the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, we provided a small peek at its performance: in Cinebench R23 multi-core — which measures overall CPU performance — 12th Gen posted results almost double those of 11th Gen! We’ve shared some excellent reviews about the upgrade in our last announcement, and will go into greater detail today by sharing benchmarking results that demonstrate how powerful the upgraded Framework Laptop is across a broad range of use cases.
Hardware performance
With both generations of the Framework Laptop available in the Framework Marketplace, there are currently a total of six different processors. For our first test, we chose Cinebench R23, a popular benchmarking tool based on Cinema 4D’s rendering technology, to check each processor’s single core and multi core performance. A Cinebench run brings the CPU to maximum load for 10 minutes, making it a great measure of sustained performance.
In these tests, the Framework Laptop 11th Gen systems were running on 3.10 BIOS, and the 12th Gen systems were running on 3.02 BIOS. Both had their power modes set to Best Performance in Windows 11.
The results show that Framework Laptops with 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors are a leap ahead of their 11th Gen counterparts. The i7-1280P, with 6 Performance cores and 8 Efficient cores delivered an impressive multi-core score of 11,076 — 90% higher than its predecessor. Check out the table below to see the scores for each model.
Cinebench R23 Single Core (higher is better)
Cinebench R23 Multi Core (higher is better)
Gaming performance
“Can you game on the Framework Laptop?” is a question that regularly pops up in our community. In a recent review published by Notebookcheck, the reviewer tested a range of popular game titles and shared the frames per second (FPS) in various settings for each game. When compared to other laptops in their database, the graphics performance in a Framework Laptop with a i7-1260P is “about 5 to 15 percent faster than the average laptop” that uses the same integrated Iris Xe graphics with 96 EUs. Here are some of the titles that can run at 60 FPS or better:
Game titles
Average frames per second (higher is better)
We did a comparison of our own as well. Zach McGarvey, our unofficial “gaming hour” organizer here at Framework, suggested the ever-popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for this test. We put both 11th Gen i7 and 12th Gen i7 machines through the same benchmark at different settings. It’s exciting to see these improvements in frame rates:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Average frames per second (higher is better)
Can you play games on the Framework Laptop? The answer is yes! For graphically intense titles like Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll need an eGPU, but if you’re eager to run CS:GO, Fortnite, League of Legends, Overwatch, Dota 2 Reborn, or other games with similar system requirements, it is entirely possible to enjoy a smooth gameplay experience directly on a Framework Laptop.
Linux kernel compilation speed
One of the great benefits of choosing a Framework Laptop DIY Edition is that it ships without an operating system, allowing you to install your favorite OS and customize your laptop exactly to your liking. If you’re interested in running Linux on the Framework Laptop, a fun way to benchmark your device is to test how quickly it can build the Linux kernel in a default configuration.
To test this, we chose the Phoronix Test Suite, a widely used benchmarking tool that has a built-in Timed Linux Kernel Compilation test that is easy to run. The test was done by two of our team members who regularly run Ubuntu 22.04 on their Framework Laptops for development work: Chris Lombardozzi on the 11th Gen i7-1185G7 with 16GB of RAM, and Zach Feldman on the 12th Gen i7-1280P with 64GB of RAM. Both processors are the most powerful model in their respective generations. The results show the Linux kernel could be built in half the time on the upgraded laptop:
Total time in seconds to build the Linux kernel (lower is better)
The i7-1280P is the most powerful Framework Laptop available today and this dramatic improvement makes it a great choice for developers and engineers who need powerful hardware in a thin and light notebook.
Is 12th Gen Intel Core right for you?
Now that you’ve seen the results, if you’re interested in upgrading your existing Framework Laptop but are unsure of exactly how to proceed, iFixit just dropped this video: “The Framework Laptop Is Now Fully Upgradable!” that showcases the complete and all together “too easy” process to swap the Framework Laptop Mainboard. If you’re jumping in for the first time, 12th Gen-based systems are available for pre-order, with shipments as early as this month for some configurations.
To learn more about changes we’ve made to the Framework Laptop, what reviewers are saying, and which Linux distros work great out of the box on the Framework Laptop, take a look at these additional resources:
