Intel Core i3-12100

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Intel Core i3-12100 Specifications and Performance Analysis

The Intel Core i3-12100 is based on the Alder Lake-S architecture and is manufactured using the 10 nm process at the Intel foundry. It is compatible with the LGA 1700 socket used by Intel 600 Series, Intel 700 Series chipsets and supports PCIe Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only), as well as DDR4, DDR5 memory with speeds of up to 4800 MT/s across Dual-channel memory. This processor features 4 cores operating at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.30 GHz, for a total of 8 threads. It is equipped with 80 kB of L1 cache, 1280 kB of L2 cache, and 12 MB of L3 cache.

This CPU is designed for a mainstream desktop platform. It supports consumer-grade memory configurations and modern expansion standards, making it suitable for everyday computing, gaming, and productivity workloads.

The Intel Core i3-12100 has a low base TDP of 60 W and a maximum TDP of 89 W. Stock CPU coolers are generally adequate as long as overclocking is not applied. It is a good fit for compact systems where heat dissipation is a concern.

For users who require integrated graphics, this CPU includes the UHD Graphics 730, which features 24 GPU cores. It operates at a base clock of 0.30 GHz and boosts up to 1.40 GHz. This makes it suitable for systems without a dedicated GPU, capable of handling everyday tasks and running older or less demanding games. Integrated graphics can also accelerate specific workloads even when a discrete GPU is installed.

Application Performance

Intel Core i3-12100 is a budget CPU, achieving a relative application performance score of 21.32% of the best possible desktop CPU performance. Suitable for light multitasking such as web browsing, coding, and media consumption. Putting heavy workloads on these CPUs can lead to system freezes or unresponsive behavior over prolonged periods.

The application performance-per-price ratio of Intel Core i3-12100 is 23.3%, indicating lower value in this category. This CPU does not offer high application performance and has a low performance-to-price ratio, making it a poor value proposition. Better alternatives exist at this price point.

Gaming Performance

Intel Core i3-12100 is a budget gaming CPU, achieving a relative gaming performance score at 1080p resolution of 52.95% compared to the best possible desktop CPU gaming performance. It is best suited for use with entry-level graphics cards, where CPU limitations have a reduced impact on overall system performance.

The gaming performance-per-price score of 38.0%, this CPU does not offer strong value in this category. As this CPU does not deliver top-tier gaming performance and also has a low gaming performance-to-price ratio, it represents poor value. More competitive options are available at a similar price point.

General Information

CPU Name	Intel Core i3-12100
Release Price	$122.00
Current Price on Amazon	$275
Amazon Price Updated	4 hours, 57 minutes ago.
Launch Date	4 years, 6 months ago.
CPU Available	True

Architecture

Architecture	Alder Lake-S
Foundry	Intel
Process	10 nm
Socket	LGA 1700
Chipsets	Intel 600 Series, Intel 700 Series
Die Size	163 mm²
PCIe Version	Gen 5, 16 Lanes (CPU only)
Secondary PCIe	Gen 4, 4 Lanes

Core Configuration

Cores / Threads	4 / 8
Base / Boost Clock	3.30 GHz / 4.30 GHz

RAM Support

Memory Support / Max Speed	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s
Memory Channels	Dual-channel

Cache Configuration

L1 Cache (per core)	80 kB
L2 Cache (per core)	1280 kB
L3 Cache (shared)	12 MB

TDP Configuration

Base TDP	60 W
Max Turbo Power	89 W
PL1 (Long Duration Power)	60 W
PL2 / Tau	28 s

Integrated Graphics

Integrated Graphics	True
GPU Name	UHD Graphics 730
GPU Cores	24
GPU Base / Boost Clock	0.30 GHz / 1.40 GHz

Cinebench R24 Performance

Cinebench R24 Multi-core	443
Cinebench R24 Single-core	93

CPU Normalized Performance Chart

Intel Core i3-12100 Compared to Similar Performance CPUs

CPU Price / Performance Table

CPU (Desc) CPU Name Sorts CPUs alphabetically. Click to change order (ascending/descending).	Price (Desc) Price (Amazon) Sorts CPUs by their current Amazon price. Click to toggle ascending/descending.	Performance (Desc) General Performance Based on multi-purpose workloads like rendering, encoding and compression. Click to sort.	Game_Perf (Desc) Gaming Performance (1080p) Measures relative gaming performance in modern games at 1080p. Click to sort by gaming power.	Combined (Desc) Combined Performance Average of general and gaming performance. Use for balanced evaluation. Click to sort.	Perf/Price (Desc) Performance per Dollar Shows how much performance you get for the price. Higher is better. Click to sort.	Game/Price (Desc) Gaming per Dollar Game performance divided by current price. Click to find best gaming deals.	Combined/Price (Desc) Combined per Dollar Overall value score (performance and gaming) per dollar spent. Click to find best overall CPU deals.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G AMD Ryzen 5 5600G View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$185 AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| 0.0% AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Price Change No significant price change detected.	29.8%	50.9%	40.3%	48.3%	54.2%	54.5%
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$167 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↓ -1.5% AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Price Change Price decreased from the last update.	29.3%	59.0%	44.1%	52.6%	69.6%	66.1%
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 AMD Ryzen 5 5500 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$82 AMD Ryzen 5 5500 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| 0.0% AMD Ryzen 5 5500 Price Change No significant price change detected.	27.8%	48.5%	38.1%	101.5%	116.6%	116.3%
Intel Core i3-14100F Intel Core i3-14100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$115❗ Intel Core i3-14100F Price Not Available Last known price from Amazon. Currently unavailable. \| 0.0% Intel Core i3-14100F Price Change No significant price change detected.	22.9%	57.1%	40.0%	59.8%	98.0%	87.1%
Intel Core i3-14100 Intel Core i3-14100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$250 Intel Core i3-14100 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↑ 38.9% Intel Core i3-14100 Price Change Price increased from the last update.	22.9%	57.1%	40.0%	27.5%	45.0%	40.0%
Intel Core i3-13100 Intel Core i3-13100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$94 Intel Core i3-13100 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↓ -27.8% Intel Core i3-13100 Price Change Price decreased from the last update.	22.2%	56.7%	39.4%	71.0%	119.0%	105.1%
Intel Core i3-13100F Intel Core i3-13100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$94 Intel Core i3-13100F Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↓ -27.8% Intel Core i3-13100F Price Change Price decreased from the last update.	22.2%	56.7%	39.4%	71.0%	119.0%	105.1%
Intel Core i3-12100F Intel Core i3-12100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$135 Intel Core i3-12100F Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| 0.0% Intel Core i3-12100F Price Change No significant price change detected.	21.3%	53.0%	37.1%	47.5%	77.5%	69.0%
Intel Core i3-12100 Intel Core i3-12100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	$275 Intel Core i3-12100 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↑ 63.6% Intel Core i3-12100 Price Change Price increased from the last update.	21.3%	53.0%	37.1%	23.3%	38.0%	33.8%

Processor Comparison and Detail Specifications Table

Specification	AMD Ryzen 5 5600G AMD Ryzen 5 5600G View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	AMD Ryzen 5 5600 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	AMD Ryzen 5 5500 AMD Ryzen 5 5500 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	Intel Core i3-14100F Intel Core i3-14100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	Intel Core i3-14100 Intel Core i3-14100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	Intel Core i3-13100 Intel Core i3-13100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	Intel Core i3-13100F Intel Core i3-13100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	Intel Core i3-12100F Intel Core i3-12100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	Intel Core i3-12100 Intel Core i3-12100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.
Perf Chart
Price	$185 AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| 0.0% AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Price Change No significant price change detected.	$167 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↓ -1.5% AMD Ryzen 5 5600 Price Change Price decreased from the last update.	$82 AMD Ryzen 5 5500 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| 0.0% AMD Ryzen 5 5500 Price Change No significant price change detected.	$115❗ Intel Core i3-14100F Price Not Available Last known price from Amazon. Currently unavailable. \| 0.0% Intel Core i3-14100F Price Change No significant price change detected.	$250 Intel Core i3-14100 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↑ 38.9% Intel Core i3-14100 Price Change Price increased from the last update.	$94 Intel Core i3-13100 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↓ -27.8% Intel Core i3-13100 Price Change Price decreased from the last update.	$94 Intel Core i3-13100F Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↓ -27.8% Intel Core i3-13100F Price Change Price decreased from the last update.	$135 Intel Core i3-12100F Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| 0.0% Intel Core i3-12100F Price Change No significant price change detected.	$275 Intel Core i3-12100 Current Amazon Price Click to view this CPU on Amazon. \| ↑ 63.6% Intel Core i3-12100 Price Change Price increased from the last update.
Manufacturer	AMD	AMD	AMD	Intel	Intel	Intel	Intel	Intel	Intel
C/SC/T	6 / 0 / 12	6 / 0 / 12	6 / 0 / 12	4 / 0 / 8	4 / 0 / 8	4 / 0 / 8	4 / 0 / 8	4 / 0 / 8	4 / 0 / 8
L2 / L3 Cache	512.0 kB / 16.0 MB	512.0 kB / 32.0 MB	512.0 kB / 16.0 MB	1280.0 kB / 12.0 MB	1280.0 kB / 12.0 MB	1280.0 kB / 12.0 MB	1280.0 kB / 12.0 MB	1280.0 kB / 12.0 MB	1280.0 kB / 12.0 MB
Base / Boost	3.90 GHz / 4.40 GHz	3.50 GHz / 4.40 GHz	3.60 GHz / 4.20 GHz	3.50 GHz / 4.70 GHz	3.50 GHz / 4.70 GHz	3.40 GHz / 4.50 GHz	3.40 GHz / 4.50 GHz	3.30 GHz / 4.30 GHz	3.30 GHz / 4.30 GHz
Memory	DDR4 / 3200 MT/s	DDR4 / 3200 MT/s	DDR4 / 3200 MT/s	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s	DDR4, DDR5 / 4800 MT/s
Arch / Node	Cezanne / 7 nm	Vermeer / 7 nm	Cezanne / 7 nm	Raptor Lake-R / 10 nm	Raptor Lake-R / 10 nm	Raptor Lake-S / 10 nm	Raptor Lake-S / 10 nm	Alder Lake-S / 10 nm	Alder Lake-S / 10 nm
TDP / Max	65 W / 61 W	65 W / 88 W	65 W / 65 W	58 W / 110 W	60 W / 110 W	60 W / 89 W	58 W / 89 W	58 W / 89 W	60 W / 89 W
Socket	AM4	AM4	AM4	LGA 1700	LGA 1700	LGA 1700	LGA 1700	LGA 1700	LGA 1700
Int. GPU	Radeon Vega 7	None	None	None	UHD Graphics 730	UHD Graphics 730	None	None	UHD Graphics 730

CPU Performance in Rendering, Encoding and Compression-Decompression

CPU (Desc) CPU Name Click to sort alphabetically (ascending or descending).	CB24_MC (Desc) Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core Measured score (higher is better) from CB24 multi-core benchmark.	CB24_SC (Desc) Cinebench 2024 Single-Core Measured score (higher is better) from CB24 single-core benchmark.	CB24_rel (Desc) Cinebench 2024 Relative Normalized score relative to a reference CPU (100% baseline).	Blender (Desc) Blender Rendering (Relative) Normalized score based on rendering performance in Blender.	Encoding_AV1 (Desc) AV1 Encoding (Relative) Relative encoding performance for AV1 video codec.	Encoding_h265 (Desc) H.265 Encoding (Relative) Relative encoding performance for H.265/HEVC codec.	7-zip_Pack (Desc) 7-Zip Compression Relative speed for compressing files using 7-Zip.	7-zip_Unpack (Desc) 7-Zip Decompression Relative speed for unpacking files using 7-Zip.	Performance (Desc) Total Performance Index Average across all benchmarks.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G AMD Ryzen 5 5600G View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	644	85	25.5%	22.2%	37.9%	33.3%	31.4%	28.6%	29.8%
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 AMD Ryzen 5 5600 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	657	85	26.0%	22.2%	37.9%	31.9%	30.5%	27.2%	29.3%
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 AMD Ryzen 5 5500 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	582	82	23.0%	21.0%	36.7%	30.4%	29.6%	25.9%	27.8%
Intel Core i3-14100F Intel Core i3-14100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	506	109	20.0%	18.7%	31.5%	27.3%	23.2%	16.7%	22.9%
Intel Core i3-14100 Intel Core i3-14100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	506	109	20.0%	18.7%	31.5%	27.3%	23.2%	16.7%	22.9%
Intel Core i3-13100 Intel Core i3-13100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	465	103	18.4%	18.6%	30.9%	27.2%	21.8%	16.3%	22.2%
Intel Core i3-13100F Intel Core i3-13100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	465	103	18.4%	18.6%	30.9%	27.2%	21.8%	16.3%	22.2%
Intel Core i3-12100F Intel Core i3-12100F View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	443	93	17.5%	18.2%	30.0%	26.0%	20.9%	15.3%	21.3%
Intel Core i3-12100 Intel Core i3-12100 View detailed specs, benchmarks, charts, and comparison for this CPU.	443	93	17.5%	18.2%	30.0%	26.0%	20.9%	15.3%	21.3%