Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i7-1280P

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i7-1280P and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, rendering, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, AIDA64, RealBench, Handbrake, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, MATLAB, WPrime, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, SuperPi, 7zip, Prime95, PassMark, Furmark, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-1280P 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 i7-1280P

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100

54%

Core i7-1280P

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	98.4
Valorant	109.1	111.8
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	62.6
Apex Legends	102.6	105.1
Call of Duty Warzone	81.8	83.8
Overwatch	88.4	90.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	77.1
DOOM Eternal	54.6	55.9
Warzone	85.1	87.2
Assassin's Creed	91.7	93.9
Valheim	90.6	92.8

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, 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 i7-1280P

200%

To make a final 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 i7-1280P is more energy efficient than the Core i3-12100 since it has less power consumption: 60W vs. 28W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. 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 program 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 run, 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 i7-1280P
Cinbench 15 Single-core	267	298
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1958	2182
Cinbench 20 Single-core	642	715
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4447	4954
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1503	1673
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14658	16330

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i7-1280P
Single-Core	3516	3917
Multi-Core	20521	22862

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i7-1280P
Single-Core	1740	1681
Multi-Core	7859	10160

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i7-1280P
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCBGA1744
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Alder Lake-P
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	1.8 MHz
Cores	4	14
Threads	8	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	28 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	5 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	24 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i7-1280P is 44% better than Core i3-12100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-1280P has 10 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: 5
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-1280P is better: 26
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-12100 and Intel Core i7-1280P before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

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 i7-1280P - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-1280P specs and review.