Xeon E-2186G vs Core i3-12100E

Xeon E-2186G

6 Cores12 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.7 GHz2018

Core i3-12100E

4 Cores8 Thrd60 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E-2186G

6 / 12

13,612

+0.6%

13,535

0.0%

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E-2186G

#188

EPYC 8124P

MSRP: $639|Avg: $639

104%

#196

Xeon 6515P

MSRP: $740|Avg: $886

101%

#201

Xeon Gold 6248R

MSRP: $2700|Avg: N/A

100%

#203

Xeon E-2186G

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#210

EPYC 8224P

MSRP: $855|Avg: $1048

98%

#214

Xeon 6521P

MSRP: $1250|Avg: $1250

95%

#215

Xeon E-2456

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $289

95%

#218

Xeon Gold 5512U

MSRP: $1230|Avg: N/A

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E-2186G is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E-2186G	Core i3-12100E
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i3-12100E ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E-2186G	Core i3-12100E
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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.

Xeon E-2186G Benchmark Check

Core i3-12100E Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E-2186G and Core i3-12100E

Xeon E-2186G

The Xeon E-2186G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 May 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 13,612 points. Launch price was $506.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E-2186G packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i3-12100E offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E-2186G has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Xeon E-2186G versus 4.2 GHz on the Core i3-12100E — a 11.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2186G (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Xeon E-2186G uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i3-12100E uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2186G scores 13,612 against the Core i3-12100E's 13,535 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E-2186G. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon E-2186G	Core i3-12100E
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz+12%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+19%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	13,612	13,535
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,594

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2186G uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-12100E uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E-2186G	Core i3-12100E
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E-2186G) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-12100E). The Core i3-12100E includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 730), while the Xeon E-2186G requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-12100E targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-12100E rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000 Series.