Intel i3-12100 Beats AMD Ryzen 3600 By Around 7-8% in Gaming Benchmarks

Following the confirmation of Intel’s non-K Alder Lake-S processors last week, a lot of attention has turned towards the entry-level focused i3-12100 and exactly where this will stand in the CPU pecking order. – Well, following the release of the first independent benchmark figures, it seems that this exceptionally price-friendly model is going to give AMD some stiff competition as following a report via TechSpot, it seemingly outperforms the AMD Ryzen 3600 in gaming by a margin of around 7-8%.

Intel Core i3-12100

Following an early review posted by Art of PC, the gaming benchmarks listed within it suggest that despite the Intel Core i3-12100 effectively representing a very basic Alder Lake-S CPU (4 cores, 8 threads, 3.3GHz – With no E-cores), it still managed to beat, by a fairly comfortable margin, the (at least on paper) higher specifications of the AMD Ryzen 3600.

Offering higher comparative gaming benchmarks scores, on average, of around 7-8%, the Intel Core i3-12100 could, therefore, very well represent a new budget CPU king. And if not by performance, then almost certainly by the price tag!

Better Performance – Better Value

The Intel i3-12100 is expected to retail for a price in the region of £125-£150. Compared to the circa £250 price tag of the 3600, therefore, while seemingly beating it in gaming performance, Intel also has the huge advantage here of being, roughly speaking, a whopping £100 less expensive.

Now, admittedly, that price point will likely balance out when it comes to motherboards. While AMD Ryzen 3600 compatible motherboards can be purchased starting at around £40, the vast majority of even entry-level Intel LGA1700 designs are at least double that figure. – Even with that taken into consideration, however, in terms of price, they’re still roughly on par and if Intel truly does edge the performance, the i3-12100 certainly seems to represent the better option.

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!