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 i3-14100

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $91 less on MSRP ($134 MSRP vs $225 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 113.5 vs 66.7 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $225 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌71.4% higher power demand at 60W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12500TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-12500TE

2022

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 60W, a 25W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 770, while Core i3-14100 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-14100 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,008 vs 15,213).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.7 vs 113.5 PassMark/$ ($225 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).

Core i3-14100

2024

Core i5-12500TE

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $91 less on MSRP ($134 MSRP vs $225 MSRP).
✅Delivers 70.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 113.5 vs 66.7 PassMark/$ ($134 MSRP vs $225 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 60W, a 25W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 770, while Core i3-14100 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌71.4% higher power demand at 60W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-12500TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-14100 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,008 vs 15,213).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.7 vs 113.5 PassMark/$ ($225 MSRP vs $134 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-14100 better than Core i5-12500TE?

Yes. Core i3-14100 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.2% 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 i3-14100 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.2% 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 i3-14100 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core i3-14100 is the smarter buy today. Core i3-14100 is $91 cheaper on MSRP at $134 MSRP versus $225 MSRP, and it gives you a 5.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 70.2% better value on MSRP (113.5 vs 66.7 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core i3-14100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i3-14100 Benchmark Check

Core i5-12500TE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
1080p
low	172 FPS	177 FPS
medium	147 FPS	154 FPS
high	116 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	148 FPS
medium	124 FPS	124 FPS
high	98 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	78 FPS
medium	75 FPS	70 FPS
high	59 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i3-14100 Open Core i5-12500TE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
1080p
low	318 FPS	229 FPS
medium	265 FPS	201 FPS
high	239 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	152 FPS
1440p
low	273 FPS	203 FPS
medium	233 FPS	181 FPS
high	215 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	204 FPS	143 FPS
medium	178 FPS	129 FPS
high	153 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	103 FPS

Open Core i3-14100 Open Core i5-12500TE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
1080p
low	380 FPS	375 FPS
medium	380 FPS	375 FPS
high	380 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	375 FPS
1440p
low	380 FPS	375 FPS
medium	380 FPS	375 FPS
high	380 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	375 FPS
4K
low	380 FPS	375 FPS
medium	380 FPS	353 FPS
high	371 FPS	304 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	247 FPS

Open Core i3-14100 Open Core i5-12500TE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
1080p
low	380 FPS	375 FPS
medium	380 FPS	375 FPS
high	380 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	375 FPS
1440p
low	380 FPS	375 FPS
medium	380 FPS	375 FPS
high	380 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	375 FPS
4K
low	380 FPS	375 FPS
medium	380 FPS	375 FPS
high	380 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	340 FPS

Open Core i3-14100 Open Core i5-12500TE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-14100 and Core i5-12500TE

Core i3-14100

The Core i3-14100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 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): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 15,213 points. Launch price was $134.

Core i5-12500TE

The Core i5-12500TE 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 15,008 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-14100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-12500TE offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i5-12500TE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i3-14100 versus 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-12500TE — a 8.9% clock advantage for the Core i3-14100 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core i3-14100 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-12500TE uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-14100 scores 15,213 against the Core i5-12500TE's 15,008 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i3-14100. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i3-14100 vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12500TE.

Feature	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz+9%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+84%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	15,213+1%	15,008
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	659
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,962
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0.

Feature	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-14100) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-12500TE). The Core i5-12500TE includes integrated graphics (UHD 770), while the Core i3-14100 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-12500TE targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i5-12500TE rivals Core i5-12400T.

Feature	Core i3-14100	Core i5-12500TE
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD 770
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-14100 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Core i5-12500TE debuted at $225. On MSRP ($134 vs $225), the Core i3-14100 is $91 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-14100 delivers 113.5 pts/$ vs 66.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-12500TE — making the Core i3-14100 the 52% better value option.