Core i3-12100

Name: Intel Core i3-12100
Brand: Intel
Rating: 4 (280 reviews)

4 cores · 8 threads · up to 4.3 GHz on FCLGA1700.

4 · 280 votes

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Cores

Threads

Boost

4.3 GHz

L3 cache

12 MB

TDP

60W

Socket

FCLGA1700

Performance breakdown

Gaming7

Productivity7

Single-core7

Multi-core17

Power efficiency6

Lab scores

Performance score7

Cores4

Threads8

Boost clock (GHz)4.3 GHz

Estimated gaming FPS

Paired with a high-end GPU. CPU impact is largest at 1080p.

1080p15 fps

1440p12 fps

4K8 fps

Full specifications

Processor & cores

Architecture: Alder Lake-S
Process node: Intel 7 nm
Socket: FCLGA1700
Release year: 2022
Total cores: 4
Threads: 8
Integrated graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 730

Clocks & cache

Base clock: 3.3 GHz
Boost clock: 4.3 GHz
L1 cache: 320 KB
L2 cache: 5 MB
L3 cache: 12 MB

Memory & platform

Memory support: DDR5-4800
Max capacity: 128 GB
Channels: 2
Max bandwidth: 76.8 GB/s
Base power (TDP): 60W
Max temperature: 100°C
PCIe: PCIe 5.0 and 4.0

Technologies

Instruction sets: SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
Extensions: AES-NI, AVX, VT-x, VT-d, TXT, TSX

Community Feedback

What Owners Say

Owners say it punches way above its weight for gaming and daily tasks, running cool and cheap. The usual gripe is that the four-core limit shows its age in heavy multitasking.

Pros

Feels instant for daily tasks
Stays cool on stock cooling
Handles modern games fine
Costs little, works great

Cons

Only four performance cores
No overclocking support at all
DDR5 memory adds unnecessary cost

Verdict

Our verdict on the Core i3-12100

A budget quad-core CPU with surprising single-threaded speed, but limited to just four cores for heavy work.

Get it if you need a budget quad-core for basic office work, web browsing, and light gaming without fuss. Skip it if you do heavy video editing, 3D rendering, or multitasking—you'll hit its four-core limit fast.