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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs Intel Core i3-12100

WINNER
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
93.7Inno Score
VS
I
41Inno Score
93Single-core55.3
99Multi-core34.2
85.2Gaming36
19 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 9 9950X2 spec wins — Intel Core i3-12100

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X wins this desktop processor face-off, 93.7 to 41, pulling ahead mainly in Multi-core (+65) and gaming (+49). Intel Core i3-12100 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

  • Stronger Single-core score: 93 vs 55
  • Stronger Multi-core score: 99 vs 34
  • Stronger gaming score: 85 vs 36
  • 433% higher L3 cache: 64 MB vs 12 MB
  • 383% higher Cinebench R23 (multi): 42,000 vs 8,700

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i3-12100

  • 65% lower Base TDP: 60 W vs 170 W
  • Has Cooler included — the other doesn't
  • Lower launch price: $122 vs $649

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus Intel Core i3-12100
SpecAMD Ryzen 9 9950XIntel Core i3-12100
Announced20242022
SocketAM5LGA1700
Process4 nm+60%10 nm
Base TDP170 W60 W+65%
Max turbo power230 W+158%89 W
Unlocked multiplierYesNo
Cooler includedNoYes

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus Intel Core i3-12100
SpecAMD Ryzen 9 9950XIntel Core i3-12100
Cores16+300%4
Performance cores16+300%4
Efficiency cores00
Threads32+300%8
Base clock4.3 GHz+30%3.3 GHz
Boost clock5.7 GHz+33%4.3 GHz
L2 cache16 MB+220%5 MB
L3 cache64 MB+433%12 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus Intel Core i3-12100
SpecAMD Ryzen 9 9950XIntel Core i3-12100
iGPUAMD Radeon Graphics (2 CU RDNA 2)Intel UHD Graphics 730
iGPU clock2,200 MHz+57%1,400 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus Intel Core i3-12100
SpecAMD Ryzen 9 9950XIntel Core i3-12100
Memory supportDDR5-5600DDR5-4800 / DDR4-3200
Max memory192 GB+50%128 GB
Memory channels22

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus Intel Core i3-12100
SpecAMD Ryzen 9 9950XIntel Core i3-12100
PCIe version55
CPU PCIe lanes28+40%20

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X versus Intel Core i3-12100
SpecAMD Ryzen 9 9950XIntel Core i3-12100
Geekbench 6 (single)3,400+66%Top 2%2,050Top 36%
Geekbench 6 (multi)23,000+243%Top 2%6,700Top 60%
Cinebench R23 (single)2,280+36%Top 3%1,680Top 35%
Cinebench R23 (multi)42,000+383%Top 2%8,700Top 66%
PassMark66,500+375%Top 2%14,000Top 66%

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