Intel Core i3-6100 vs Intel Core i5-12600KF

Processor comparisons 04-02-2023

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-6100 vs Intel Core i5-12600KF and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like MATLAB, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, Blender, PassMark, Prime95, Furmark, 3DMark, WPrime, SuperPi, PCMark 10, AIDA64, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-12600KF or Intel Core i3-6100.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-6100

51%

Core i5-12600KF

61%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-12600KF is 16% better than Core i3-6100. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-6100

51%

Core i5-12600KF

58%

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 play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches 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 summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.3	102.9
Valorant	102.6	117.0
Cyberpunk 2077	57.5	65.5
Apex Legends	96.5	110.0
Call of Duty Warzone	77.0	87.7
Overwatch	83.1	94.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.8	80.7
DOOM Eternal	51.3	58.5
Warzone	80.1	91.2
Assassin's Creed	86.2	98.3
Valheim	85.2	97.1

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 computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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. 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 i3-6100

68%

Core i5-12600KF

57%

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 i3-6100 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-12600KF since it has less power consumption: 51W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach 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 use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 i3-6100	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	485
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	392	3543
Cinbench 20 Single-core	368	1161
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	916	8045
Cinbench 23 Single-core	538	2715
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2090	26517

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

	Intel Core i3-6100	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Single-Core	2256	6362
Multi-Core	4180	37124

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

	Intel Core i3-6100	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Single-Core	1050	2144
Multi-Core	2271	14653

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 later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-6100	Intel Core i5-12600KF
Announcement date	September 17, 2015	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1700
Core name	Skylake	Alder Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	12
Turbo Frequency		4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	2	10
Threads	4	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	51 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		9.5 MB
L3 cache	3 MB	20 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-6100 is 2% better than Core i5-12600KF in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-12600KF has 8 more core than Core i3-6100. 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 i3-6100 is better: 4
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-12600KF is better: 31
However, it should be realized that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-6100 and Intel Core i5-12600KF before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-6100 - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-6100 specs and review.

Intel Core i5-12600KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-12600KF specs and review.