Core i3-12100E vs Ryzen 9 5900H
Core i3-12100E
Ryzen 9 5900H
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i3-12100E | Ryzen 9 5900H |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / 10 nm) | ✨ Modern (Cezanne U (Zen 3) (2021−2022) / 7 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i3-12100E | Ryzen 9 5900H |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-12100E and Ryzen 9 5900H
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 9 5900H
The Ryzen 9 5900H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne U (Zen 3) (2021−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 13,510 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i3-12100E packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900H has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i3-12100E versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900H — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900H (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i3-12100E uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900H uses Cezanne U (Zen 3) (2021−2022) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-12100E scores 13,535 against the Ryzen 9 5900H's 13,510 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i3-12100E. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-12100E vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900H.
| Feature | Core i3-12100E | Ryzen 9 5900H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 8 / 16+100% |
| Boost Clock | 4.2 GHz | 4.6 GHz+10% |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz+3% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total) | 16 MB+33% |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 4 MB+220% |
| Process | 10 nm | 7 nm-30% |
| Architecture | Alder Lake-S (2022) | Cezanne U (Zen 3) (2021−2022) |
| PassMark | 13,535 | 13,510 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,594 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i3-12100E uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900H uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i3-12100E | Ryzen 9 5900H |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1700 | FP6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0+25% | PCIe 4.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR5-4800 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 128 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 20 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-12100E) / not specified (Ryzen 9 5900H). The Core i3-12100E includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 730), while the Ryzen 9 5900H requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-12100E targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-12100E rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000 Series.
| Feature | Core i3-12100E | Ryzen 9 5900H |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | UHD Graphics 730 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Embedded | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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