Intel Core i3-12300 vs Intel Core i9-10850K

Processor comparisons   11-01-2022
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-12300 vs Intel Core i9-10850K tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Handbrake, Blender, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, Gears 5, Prime95, 7zip, PassMark, RealBench, Furmark, WPrime.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10850K 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 i9-10850K

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10850K is 1% better than Core i3-12300. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-12300

54%

Core i9-10850K

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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 little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Control, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.2	99.8
Valorant	109.3	113.4
Cyberpunk 2077	61.2	63.5
Apex Legends	102.7	106.6
Call of Duty Warzone	82.0	85.1
Overwatch	88.5	91.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.4	78.3
DOOM Eternal	54.6	56.7
Warzone	85.2	88.5
Assassin's Creed	91.8	95.3
Valheim	90.7	94.1

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-12300

98%

Core i9-10850K

36%

To make a finishing 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 i9-10850K since it has less power consumption: 60W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i9-10850K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	271	229
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1993	2616
Cinbench 20 Single-core	653	536
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4525	6318
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1530	1367
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14916	16820

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

	Intel Core i3-12300	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	3578	3074
Multi-Core	20882	23350

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

	Intel Core i3-12300	Intel Core i9-10850K
Single-Core	1770	1383
Multi-Core	7998	11578

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 i3-12300	Intel Core i9-10850K
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCLGA1200
Core name	Alder Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	10
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	5.1 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3.6 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	125 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	Yes
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 i9-10850K is 72% better than Core i3-12300 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10850K has 6 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: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10850K is better: 22
Although it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-12300 and Intel Core i9-10850K before making a selection which processor 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 i9-10850K specs and review.