Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i3-12100F

Processor comparisons   28-09-2022
   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-12900KS vs Intel Core i3-12100F tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, programming, streaming, video editing. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as Blender, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, Gears 5, Prime95, Furmark, WPrime, 7zip, Blender, AIDA64, PassMark, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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 i3-12100F or Intel Core i9-12900KS.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-12900KS

73%

Core i3-12100F

56%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-12900KS is 23% better than Core i3-12100F. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-12900KS

61%

Core i3-12100F

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	94.5
Valorant	123.4	107.3
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	60.1
Apex Legends	116.0	100.9
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	80.5
Overwatch	100.0	86.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.1	74.1
DOOM Eternal	61.7	53.7
Warzone	96.3	83.7
Assassin's Creed	103.7	90.2
Valheim	102.4	89.1

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 comparing 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. 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 i9-12900KS

48%

Core i3-12100F

99%

To make a final 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 i3-12100F is more energy efficient than the Core i9-12900KS since it has less power consumption: 150W vs. 58W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has. 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i9-12900KS	Intel Core i3-12100F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	669	267
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	6984	1958
Cinbench 20 Single-core	1113	642
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	15520	4447
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3930	1503
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	44652	14658

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i3-12100F
Single-Core	4211	3516
Multi-Core	76561	20521

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

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i3-12100F
Single-Core	2187	1729
Multi-Core	20189	6333

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-12900KS	Intel Core i3-12100F
Announcement date	March 27, 2022	January 07, 2022
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA1700
Core name	Alder Lake	Alder Lake-U
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	12
Turbo Frequency	5.5 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	4 MHz	1 MHz
Cores	16	4
Threads	24	8
Bus rate	16 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	12400 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	150 W	58 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	6400
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	8 MB	5 MB
L3 cache	30 MB	12 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 i9-12900KS is 75% better than Core i3-12100F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-12900KS has 12 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 i9-12900KS is better: 32
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-12100F is better: 2
However, it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-12900KS and Intel Core i3-12100F before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-12900KS - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-12900KS specs and review.

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.