Intel Core i3-12100E vs Intel Core i9-7900X

Processor comparisons 11-01-2022

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i3-12100E vs Intel Core i9-7900X tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis 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 special test applications like WPrime, Blender, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, 3DMark, AIDA64, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, Handbrake, Prime95, Blender, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7900X or Intel Core i3-12100E.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-12100E

56%

Core i9-7900X

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100E

54%

Core i9-7900X

57%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. And if it seems to you 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 less popular games in which processors were compared: League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	100.3
Valorant	108.8	114.0
Cyberpunk 2077	60.9	63.8
Apex Legends	102.3	107.2
Call of Duty Warzone	81.6	85.5
Overwatch	88.2	92.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	78.7
DOOM Eternal	54.4	57.0
Warzone	84.9	88.9
Assassin's Creed	91.4	95.8
Valheim	90.3	94.6

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 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. Therefore, 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 i3-12100E

93%

Core i9-7900X

29%

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 i3-12100E is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7900X as it consumes less power: 60W vs. 140W. 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 machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has. 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 i3-12100E	Intel Core i9-7900X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	259	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1899	2194
Cinbench 20 Single-core	623	461
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4314	5286
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1458	1222
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14218	14998

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

	Intel Core i3-12100E	Intel Core i9-7900X
Single-Core	3411	2579
Multi-Core	19905	21477

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

	Intel Core i3-12100E	Intel Core i9-7900X
Single-Core	1688	1237
Multi-Core	7623	12083

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-12100E	Intel Core i9-7900X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	April 01, 2017
Type	Embedded	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA2066
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	10
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.3 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	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	140 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	13.75 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 i9-7900X is 69% better than Core i3-12100E in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7900X has 6 more core than Core i3-12100E. 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 i3-12100E is better: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7900X is better: 22
All the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i3-12100E and Intel Core i9-7900X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-12100E - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-12100E specs and review.

Intel Core i9-7900X - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-7900X specs and review.