CPU Showdown

Core i3-12100EvsRyzen Threadripper 9980X

The Core i3-12100E is a low-power, budget-friendly chip for basic office work and light home use, while the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is a massive, high-end workstation processor built for heavy rendering and professional multitasking.

Intel Core i3-12100E
4C / 8T · 60W
VS
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
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 9980X

Shimada Peak · 4 nm · 2025

86score
3.9/ 5
0 votes
Cores / Threads
64 / 128
TDP
350W
Boost Clock
5.4 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 9980XWinner
86
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X leads by 975.0% in aggregate performance.
Where they rank overall
#1EPYC 9755100
#2Ryzen Threadripper 9980X86
#3Ryzen Threadripper 7980X82
#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 9980X
Cores
Total Cores464
Threads8128
Base Clock3.2 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost Clock4.2 GHz5.4 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 nm4 nm
Verdict

Which should you buy?

Winner overall

The Ryzen Threadripper 9980X wins overall for heavy multithreaded work, vastly outpacing the Core i3-12100E.

Best value

For budget buyers, the Core i3-12100E is the smarter pick, offering adequate performance for basic tasks at a far lower cost.

When the other wins

The Core i3-12100E is the right choice for a simple office PC or home server where low power draw and price matter more than raw power.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is the Core i3-12100E better than the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X?

Overall the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is the stronger processor: it ranks higher in our aggregate performance score (86 vs 8 out of 100), so it leads the Core i3-12100E in most workloads.

How much faster is the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X than the Core i3-12100E?

Based on our aggregated benchmark scores the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X is roughly 975% 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 9980X?

If you want the most performance, pick the Ryzen Threadripper 9980X. 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.