Intel Core i3-12300 vs Intel Core i5-12500

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-12300 vs Intel Core i5-12500 tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A careful analysis 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 parallel examination in software tests such as VeraCrypt, 3DMark, Furmark, Handbrake, RealBench, Blender, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, SuperPi, Blender, PCMark 10, Prime95, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, PassMark, WPrime, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12500 or Intel Core i3-12300.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-12300

56%

Core i5-12500

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12300

54%

Core i5-12500

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.2	97.2
Valorant	109.3	110.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.2	61.9
Apex Legends	102.7	103.8
Call of Duty Warzone	82.0	82.8
Overwatch	88.5	89.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.4	76.2
DOOM Eternal	54.6	55.2
Warzone	85.2	86.2
Assassin's Creed	91.8	92.8
Valheim	90.7	91.7

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 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. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-12300

98%

Core i5-12500

86%

To make a final decision 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 i3-12300 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12500 as it consumes less power: 60W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. 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. Because there are still many programs that 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 i3-12300	Intel Core i5-12500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	271	298
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1993	2182
Cinbench 20 Single-core	653	715
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4525	4955
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1530	1672
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14916	16334

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

	Intel Core i3-12300	Intel Core i5-12500
Single-Core	3578	3919
Multi-Core	20882	22868

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

	Intel Core i3-12300	Intel Core i5-12500
Single-Core	1770	1685
Multi-Core	7998	9016

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, 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. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new 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 i3-12300	Intel Core i5-12500
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA1700
Core name	Alder Lake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	60 W	65 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
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	5 MB
L3 cache	12 MB	18 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 i5-12500 is 69% better than Core i3-12300 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-12500 has 2 more core than Core i3-12300. 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 i3-12300 is better: 3
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12500 is better: 26
Although it should be understood that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-12300 and Intel Core i5-12500 before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-12300 - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-12300 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12500 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12500 specs and review.