Intel Core i3-12100F vs Intel Core i5-11600K

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i3-12100F vs Intel Core i5-11600K and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, programming, video editing, streaming, machine learning. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, 3DMark, Handbrake, Blender, Blender, PassMark, SuperPi, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, Gears 5, 7zip, MATLAB, RealBench, UserBenchmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600K or Intel Core i3-12100F.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-12100F

56%

Core i5-11600K

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12100F

53%

Core i5-11600K

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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 small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Control, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.5	95.2
Valorant	107.3	108.1
Cyberpunk 2077	60.1	60.6
Apex Legends	100.9	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	80.5	81.1
Overwatch	86.9	87.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.1	74.6
DOOM Eternal	53.7	54.1
Warzone	83.7	84.3
Assassin's Creed	90.2	90.8
Valheim	89.1	89.7

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 i3-12100F

99%

Core i5-11600K

43%

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 i3-12100F is more energy efficient than the Core i5-11600K since it has less power consumption: 58W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, 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 reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program 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 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 i3-12100F	Intel Core i5-11600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	267	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1958	1905
Cinbench 20 Single-core	642	465
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4447	4270
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1503	1213
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14658	11302

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

	Intel Core i3-12100F	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	3516	2707
Multi-Core	20521	20616

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

	Intel Core i3-12100F	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	1729	1621
Multi-Core	6333	7012

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. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-12100F	Intel Core i5-11600K
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1200
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	11
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	58 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	5 MB	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	12 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 i5-11600K is 74% better than Core i3-12100F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-11600K has 2 more core than Core i3-12100F. 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 i3-12100F is better: 15
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 18
However, it should be realized that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Core i5-11600K before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-12100F - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-12100F specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.