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 i3-12100

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 730, while Ryzen 5 2600E needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 2600E.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,315 vs 12,346).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $122 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 2600E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 60W vs 45W.

Ryzen 5 2600E

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 60W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-12100 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i3-12100 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-12100 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-12100.

Core i3-12100

2022

Ryzen 5 2600E

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 730, while Ryzen 5 2600E needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 2600E.

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 60W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,315 vs 12,346).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $122 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 2600E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 60W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-12100 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i3-12100 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-12100 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-12100.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-12100 better than Ryzen 5 2600E?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i3-12100 is ahead with a 3.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 2600E pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 2600E also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 2600E is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i3-12100 is the smarter buy today. Core i3-12100 is at an unclear MSRP at $122 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 3.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 2600E is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.3% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (100.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 2600E 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?

Core i3-12100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 i3-12100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 2600E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-12100	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	174 FPS	176 FPS
medium	151 FPS	154 FPS
high	121 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	145 FPS
medium	124 FPS	122 FPS
high	98 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	80 FPS	66 FPS
medium	73 FPS	59 FPS
high	57 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i3-12100 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-12100	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	278 FPS	252 FPS
medium	240 FPS	219 FPS
high	219 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	156 FPS
1440p
low	243 FPS	227 FPS
medium	213 FPS	199 FPS
high	198 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	168 FPS	145 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	178 FPS
medium	171 FPS	160 FPS
high	145 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	106 FPS

Open Core i3-12100 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-12100	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	308 FPS	309 FPS
high	308 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	308 FPS	309 FPS
high	308 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	308 FPS	292 FPS
high	308 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	266 FPS	200 FPS

Open Core i3-12100 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-12100	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	308 FPS	309 FPS
high	308 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	308 FPS	309 FPS
high	308 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	308 FPS	309 FPS
medium	308 FPS	309 FPS
high	308 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	309 FPS

Open Core i3-12100 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-12100 and Ryzen 5 2600E

Core i3-12100

The Core i3-12100 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 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 12,315 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 2600E

The Ryzen 5 2600E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 12,346 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-12100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 2600E offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 2600E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i3-12100 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600E — a 7.2% clock advantage for the Core i3-12100 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i3-12100 uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2600E uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-12100 scores 12,315 against the Ryzen 5 2600E's 12,346 — a 0.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 2600E. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-12100 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600E.

Feature	Core i3-12100	Ryzen 5 2600E
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+7%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+6%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	12,315	12,346
Geekbench 6 Single	2,157	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-12100 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 2600E uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-12100	Ryzen 5 2600E
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-12100) / not specified (Ryzen 5 2600E). The Core i3-12100 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 730), while the Ryzen 5 2600E requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-12100 targets Budget Gaming Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i3-12100 rivals Ryzen 5 5500.