Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i5-11600KF

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i5-11600KF tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, streaming, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, PassMark, RealBench, Handbrake, 3DMark, Blender, AIDA64, MATLAB, Gears 5, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Blender, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Rainbow Six Siege
Valorant
Valheim
Overwatch
Cyberpunk 2077
Grand Theft Auto V
DOOM: Eternal
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Apex Legends
Death Stranding
Last Man Standing
Halo Infinite
Watch Dogs Legion
Fortnite
Borderlands 3
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Red Dead Redemption 2
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600KF or Intel Core i3-12100.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-12100

56%

Core i5-11600KF

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100

54%

Core i5-11600KF

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Battlefield V, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	95.1
Valorant	109.1	108.0
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	60.5
Apex Legends	102.6	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	81.8	81.0
Overwatch	88.4	87.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	74.6
DOOM Eternal	54.6	54.0
Warzone	85.1	84.3
Assassin's Creed	91.7	90.8
Valheim	90.6	89.7

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-12100

96%

Core i5-11600KF

42%

To make a finishing resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-12100 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-11600KF as it consumes less power: 60W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	267	197
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1958	1886
Cinbench 20 Single-core	642	460
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4447	4227
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1503	1201
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14658	11189

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Single-Core	3516	2680
Multi-Core	20521	20410

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Single-Core	1740	1605
Multi-Core	7859	6942

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA1200
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	11
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	5 MB	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-11600KF is 74% better than Core i3-12100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-11600KF has 2 more core than Core i3-12100. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-12100 is better: 28
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600KF is better: 6
All the number in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-12100 and Intel Core i5-11600KF before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-12100 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-12100 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-11600KF - all data

• Overwatch gaming benchmark
• Fortnite gaming benchmark
• GTA 5 gaming benchmark
• Apex Legends gaming benchmark
• Assassin's Creed gaming benchmark
• Roblox gaming benchmark
• Cyberpunk 2077 gaming benchmark
• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-11600KF specs and review.