Core i3-12100F

The Core i3-12100F is a 4-core / 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture, manufactured on a Intel 7 nm process node. It reaches a maximum boost clock of 4.3 GHz from a base frequency of 3.3 GHz— higher boost clocks directly translate to better single-threaded performance and responsiveness in gaming. It carries 12 MB (total) of L3 cache, plus 1.25 MB (per core) of L2 cache and 80 kB (per core) of L1 cache per core. In the PassMark benchmark (a comprehensive multi-threaded test), it scores 13,979, placing it in the Budget performance tier as a Aging generation product.

The Core i3-12100F fits into the LGA1700 socket and supports PCIe 5.0 with 20 total PCIe lanes for expansion cards and storage. It supports DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 memory at speeds up to DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 (faster RAM improves bandwidth-sensitive workloads), with a maximum capacity of 128 GB across 2 channels (dual-channel doubles bandwidth).

The Core i3-12100F has a rated TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 58 Watt — this indicates the amount of heat generated under sustained load and determines what cooling solution is needed.

At an average price of $90 (MSRP: $97), the Core i3-12100F delivers 155 PassMark points per dollar. Performance ranking position: #1076 out of all indexed processors.