Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i7-10700K

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i7-10700K and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, 7zip, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, AIDA64, Prime95, Blender, RealBench, PassMark, Handbrake, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, 3DMark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-10700K 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 i7-10700K

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i3-12100 is 1% better than Core i7-10700K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100

54%

Core i7-10700K

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	98.2
Valorant	109.1	111.6
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	62.5
Apex Legends	102.6	104.9
Call of Duty Warzone	81.8	83.7
Overwatch	88.4	90.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	77.0
DOOM Eternal	54.6	55.8
Warzone	85.1	87.0
Assassin's Creed	91.7	93.7
Valheim	90.6	92.6

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 computers that were in the comparisons 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. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-12100

96%

Core i7-10700K

34%

To make a finishing resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-12100 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-10700K 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. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i7-10700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	267	228
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1958	2344
Cinbench 20 Single-core	642	524
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4447	5292
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1503	1309
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14658	12678

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i7-10700K
Single-Core	3516	3051
Multi-Core	20521	19514

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i7-10700K
Single-Core	1740	1298
Multi-Core	7859	9987

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When 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 economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i7-10700K
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA1200
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	10
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	4	8
Threads	8	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	6800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	5 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	16 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 i7-10700K is 73% better than Core i3-12100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-10700K has 4 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: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10700K is better: 20
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i3-12100 and Intel Core i7-10700K before making a decision 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 i7-10700K specs and review.