Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i9-10900

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i9-10900 tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like PassMark, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, Blender, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Furmark, 7zip, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, Prime95, MATLAB, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, Blender, PCMark 10, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10900 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 i9-10900

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100

54%

Core i9-10900

56%

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 the cost of this processor reaches 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 final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	99.0
Valorant	109.1	112.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	63.0
Apex Legends	102.6	105.7
Call of Duty Warzone	81.8	84.4
Overwatch	88.4	91.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	77.6
DOOM Eternal	54.6	56.2
Warzone	85.1	87.7
Assassin's Creed	91.7	94.5
Valheim	90.6	93.4

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: 2K, FullHD 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 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 i9-10900

64%

To make a finishing choice 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 i9-10900 since it has less power consumption: 60W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i9-10900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	267	231
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1958	2541
Cinbench 20 Single-core	642	529
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4447	6378
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1503	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14658	14816

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i9-10900
Single-Core	3516	3126
Multi-Core	20521	21216

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i9-10900
Single-Core	1740	1265
Multi-Core	7859	10761

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i9-10900
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	5.2 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	4	10
Threads	8	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	9200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	65 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	20 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 i9-10900 is 64% better than Core i3-12100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10900 has 6 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10900 is better: 21
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-12100 and Intel Core i9-10900 before making a choice 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 i9-10900 - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-10900 specs and review.