CPU Showdown

Core i3-12100EvsRyzen Threadripper 7980X

The Core i3-12100E is a budget-friendly, low-power chip for basic office builds or light home servers, while the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is a workstation monster for creators and engineers who need extreme multi-core grunt.

Intel Core i3-12100E
4C / 8T · 60W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
64C / 128T · 350W
Intel

Core i3-12100E

Alder Lake-S · 10 nm · 2022

8score
3.2/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
TDP
60W
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
L3 Cache
12 MB

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AMD

Ryzen Threadripper 7980X

Storm Peak · 5 nm · 2023

82score
3.7/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.1 GHz
L3 Cache
256 MB

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Aggregate Performance

Overall Performance Score

A unified score from combined synthetic and real-world benchmarks. 100 represents the fastest desktop CPU available.

Core i3-12100E
8
Ryzen Threadripper 7980XWinner
82
Ryzen Threadripper 7980X leads by 925.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#4Ryzen Threadripper 9970X64
#311Core i3-14100T8
#312Core i3-12100E8
#313Core i7-8700K8
Technical Specifications

Side-by-Side Specs

Every detail compared. Highlighted cells indicate the leading value for that metric.

SpecsCore i3-12100ERyzen Threadripper 7980X
Cores
Total Cores464
Threads8128
Base Clock3.2 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.2 GHz5.1 GHz
Cache
L2 Cache5 MB64 MB
L3 Cache12 MB256 MB
Platform
Socket1700sTR5
MemoryDDR4DDR5
PCIePCIe 5.0PCIe 5.0
iGPUIntel UHD Graphics 730
Power
Base TDP60W350W
General
Process10 nm5 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 7980X wins overall for heavy multitasking and professional workloads, leaving the Core i3-12100E far behind.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core i3-12100E is the smarter pick—it costs far less and handles everyday tasks without waste.

When the other wins

The Core i3-12100E is the right choice for a basic office PC where extreme processing power would be overkill.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i3-12100E better than the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (82 vs 8 out of 100), so it leads the Core i3-12100E in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X than the Core i3-12100E?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is roughly 925% faster than the Core i3-12100E overall. The real-world gap varies by game, resolution and settings.

Which should you buy, the Core i3-12100E or the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 7980X. If the Core i3-12100E is meaningfully cheaper where you shop, it can be the better value for similar real-world results — check current prices and the full spec comparison above before deciding.