Core i3-12100E vs Ryzen 3 8300GE

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i3-12100E

2022

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 730, while Ryzen 3 8300GE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 8300GE across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,535 vs 13,568).
❌71.4% higher power demand at 60W vs 35W.

Ryzen 3 8300GE

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 60W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $129 MSRP, while Core i3-12100E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-12100E can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i3-12100E

2022

Ryzen 3 8300GE

2024

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 730, while Ryzen 3 8300GE needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 60W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 8300GE across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,535 vs 13,568).
❌71.4% higher power demand at 60W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $129 MSRP, while Core i3-12100E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-12100E can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 8300GE better than Core i3-12100E?

Yes. Ryzen 3 8300GE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 9.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 3 8300GE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 9.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 8300GE is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 3 8300GE is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 8300GE is at an unclear MSRP at $129 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 9.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (105.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core i3-12100E can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 3 8300GE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-12100E Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 8300GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-12100E	Ryzen 3 8300GE
1080p
low	175 FPS	262 FPS
medium	151 FPS	233 FPS
high	123 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	168 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	230 FPS
medium	122 FPS	185 FPS
high	96 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	159 FPS
medium	59 FPS	129 FPS
high	46 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i3-12100E Open Ryzen 3 8300GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-12100E	Ryzen 3 8300GE
1080p
low	269 FPS	339 FPS
medium	235 FPS	280 FPS
high	215 FPS	245 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	206 FPS
1440p
low	241 FPS	286 FPS
medium	213 FPS	238 FPS
high	197 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	168 FPS	176 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	212 FPS
medium	171 FPS	183 FPS
high	145 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	124 FPS

Open Core i3-12100E Open Ryzen 3 8300GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-12100E	Ryzen 3 8300GE
1080p
low	338 FPS	339 FPS
medium	338 FPS	339 FPS
high	338 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	339 FPS
1440p
low	338 FPS	339 FPS
medium	338 FPS	339 FPS
high	338 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	339 FPS
medium	338 FPS	339 FPS
high	295 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	293 FPS

Open Core i3-12100E Open Ryzen 3 8300GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-12100E	Ryzen 3 8300GE
1080p
low	338 FPS	339 FPS
medium	338 FPS	339 FPS
high	338 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	339 FPS
1440p
low	338 FPS	339 FPS
medium	338 FPS	339 FPS
high	338 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	338 FPS	339 FPS
medium	338 FPS	339 FPS
high	338 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	339 FPS

Open Core i3-12100E Open Ryzen 3 8300GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-12100E and Ryzen 3 8300GE

Core i3-12100E

The Core i3-12100E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 13,535 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 3 8300GE

The Ryzen 3 8300GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 13,568 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i3-12100E and Ryzen 3 8300GE share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i3-12100E versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 8300GE — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 8300GE (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i3-12100E uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 3 8300GE uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-12100E scores 13,535 against the Ryzen 3 8300GE's 13,568 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 3 8300GE. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-12100E vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 8300GE.

Feature	Core i3-12100E	Ryzen 3 8300GE
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.9 GHz+17%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz	3.5 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	13,535	13,568
Geekbench 6 Single	1,594	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-12100E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 3 8300GE uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-12100E	Ryzen 3 8300GE
Socket	LGA1700	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-12100E) / not specified (Ryzen 3 8300GE). The Core i3-12100E includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 730), while the Ryzen 3 8300GE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-12100E targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-12100E rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000 Series.