Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i9-9820X

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   If you have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i3-12100 vs Intel Core i9-9820X and understand which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, rendering. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Blender, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, SuperPi, AIDA64, RealBench, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, MATLAB, 7zip, 3DMark, WPrime, Prime95, Gears 5.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9820X 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 i9-9820X

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100

54%

Core i9-9820X

56%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	100.2
Valorant	109.1	113.8
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	63.8
Apex Legends	102.6	107.0
Call of Duty Warzone	81.8	85.4
Overwatch	88.4	92.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	78.6
DOOM Eternal	54.6	56.9
Warzone	85.1	88.8
Assassin's Creed	91.7	95.6
Valheim	90.6	94.5

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with 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. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 i9-9820X

25%

To make a final decision 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 i9-9820X since it has less power consumption: 60W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can 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 i9-9820X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	267	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1958	1987
Cinbench 20 Single-core	642	422
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4447	4677
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1503	1320
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14658	14283

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i9-9820X
Single-Core	3516	2448
Multi-Core	20521	20453

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

	Intel Core i3-12100	Intel Core i9-9820X
Single-Core	1740	1256
Multi-Core	7859	11942

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. It turns out that 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 i9-9820X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	9
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.3 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	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	5 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	16.5 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 i9-9820X is 69% better than Core i3-12100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9820X 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: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9820X is better: 19
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-12100 and Intel Core i9-9820X 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 i9-9820X - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9820X specs and review.