Core i3-12100 vs A8-6600K

Primary details

Comparing A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1866	817
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.47	48.39
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	AMD A-Series (Desktop)	no data
Architecture codename	Richland (2013−2014)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
Release date	1 June 2013 (11 years ago)	4 January 2022 (2 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$142	no data
Current price	$58 (0.4x MSRP)	$122

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i3-12100 has 10196% better value for money than A8-6600K.

Detailed specifications

A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	4	8
Base clock speed	3.9 GHz	3.3 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.2 GHz	4.3 GHz
L1 cache	192 KB	80K (per core)
L2 cache	4096 KB	1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache	0 KB	12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	246 mm2	163 mm2
Maximum core temperature	74 °C	100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	74 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,178 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Socket	FM2	FCLGA1700
Power consumption (TDP)	100 Watt	60 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by A8-6600K and Core i3-12100. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	no data	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	1	+
FMA	FMA4	no data
AVX	AVX	+
PowerTune	-	no data
TrueAudio	-	no data
PowerNow	+	no data
PowerGating	+	no data
Out-of-band client management	-	no data
VirusProtect	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	no data	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	no data	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	no data	+
TSX	no data	+
Idle States	no data	+
Thermal Monitoring	no data	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	no data	-
Status	no data	Launched

Security technologies

A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	no data	+
Secure Key	no data	+
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	no data
VT-d	no data	+
VT-x	no data	+
EPT	no data	+
IOMMU 2.0	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by A8-6600K and Core i3-12100. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3-1866	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	no data	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	no data	76.8 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	AMD Radeon HD 8570D	Intel UHD Graphics 730
Number of pipelines	256	no data
Quick Sync Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	no data	+
Enduro	+	no data
Switchable graphics	1	no data
UVD	+	no data
VCE	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	no data	1.4 GHz
Execution Units	no data	24

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	no data	4
DisplayPort	+	no data
HDMI	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4096 x 2160 @ 60Hz
Max resolution over eDP	no data	5120 x 3200 @ 120Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by A8-6600K and Core i3-12100 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	DirectX® 11	12
OpenGL	no data	4.5

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by A8-6600K and Core i3-12100.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0 and 4.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	20

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Core i3-12100 outperforms A8-6600K by 350% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	1.95	8.77
Recency	1 June 2013	4 January 2022
Threads	4	8
Power consumption (TDP)	100 Watt	60 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between A8-6600K and Core i3-12100, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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