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 i3-12100F

2022

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $53 less on MSRP ($97 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 144.1 vs 91.9 PassMark/$ ($97 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Draws 58W instead of 65W, a 7W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,787 vs 13,979).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 91.9 vs 144.1 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $97 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i3-12100F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i3-12100F

2022

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

2021

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $53 less on MSRP ($97 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 144.1 vs 91.9 PassMark/$ ($97 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅Draws 58W instead of 65W, a 7W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,787 vs 13,979).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 91.9 vs 144.1 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $97 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i3-12100F moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-12100F better than Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G?

Yes. Core i3-12100F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 1.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i3-12100F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-12100F is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i3-12100F is the smarter buy today. Core i3-12100F is $53 cheaper on MSRP at $97 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 56.8% better value on MSRP (144.1 vs 91.9 PassMark/$), 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 3 PRO 5350G can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i3-12100F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4, 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. 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 i3-12100F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-12100F	Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
1080p
low	167 FPS	216 FPS
medium	141 FPS	179 FPS
high	111 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	185 FPS
medium	121 FPS	150 FPS
high	95 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	78 FPS	74 FPS
medium	71 FPS	64 FPS
high	56 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i3-12100F Open Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-12100F	Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
1080p
low	271 FPS	306 FPS
medium	234 FPS	258 FPS
high	213 FPS	233 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	237 FPS	265 FPS
medium	208 FPS	228 FPS
high	193 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	177 FPS
4K
low	185 FPS	206 FPS
medium	167 FPS	184 FPS
high	142 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	131 FPS

Open Core i3-12100F Open Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-12100F	Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
1080p
low	349 FPS	345 FPS
medium	349 FPS	345 FPS
high	349 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	345 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	345 FPS
medium	349 FPS	345 FPS
high	349 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	300 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	336 FPS
medium	349 FPS	287 FPS
high	315 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	260 FPS	196 FPS

Open Core i3-12100F Open Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-12100F	Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
1080p
low	349 FPS	345 FPS
medium	349 FPS	345 FPS
high	349 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	345 FPS
1440p
low	349 FPS	345 FPS
medium	349 FPS	345 FPS
high	349 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	349 FPS	345 FPS
medium	349 FPS	345 FPS
high	349 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	317 FPS	325 FPS

Open Core i3-12100F Open Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-12100F and Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

Core i3-12100F

The Core i3-12100F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 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): 58 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 13,979 points. Launch price was $97.

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

The Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 13,787 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i3-12100F and Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i3-12100F versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Core i3-12100F (base: 3.3 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i3-12100F uses the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-12100F scores 13,979 against the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G's 13,787 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i3-12100F. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-12100F vs 8 MB on the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G.

Feature	Core i3-12100F	Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz+2%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	4 GHz+21%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-S (2022)	Cezanne (2021−2025)
PassMark	13,979+1%	13,787

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-12100F uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-12100F	Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-12100F launched at $97 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G debuted at $150. On MSRP ($97 vs $150), the Core i3-12100F is $53 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-12100F delivers 144.1 pts/$ vs 91.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G — making the Core i3-12100F the 44.2% better value option.