Core i9-12900KS vs Core i3-6100
Aggregate performance score
i9-12900KS outperforms i3-6100 by a whopping 932% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1622 | 151 |
| Place by popularity | 70 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 1.58 | 87.36 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Skylake (2015−2016) | Alder Lake-S (2022) |
| Release date | 1 September 2015 (8 years ago) | 5 April 2022 (2 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $117 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i9-12900KS has 5429% better value for money than i3-6100.
Detailed specifications
Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS 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 | 2 (Dual-core) | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 3.4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 5.5 GHz |
| Bus support | 4 × 8 GT/s | no data |
| L1 cache | 128 KB | 80K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512 KB | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 30 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | 98.57 mm2 | 215 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 65 °C | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 1,400 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | Yes |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS 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 (Uniprocessor) | 1 |
| Socket | 1151 | 1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | 150 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| TSX | no data | + |
Security technologies
Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 34.134 GB/s | 76.8 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | + | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Intel HD Graphics 530 | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | 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.
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 i9-12900KS outperforms Core i3-6100 by 932% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Core i9-12900KS outperforms Core i3-6100 by 931% in Passmark.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i9-12900KS outperforms Core i3-6100 by 123% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i9-12900KS outperforms Core i3-6100 by 589% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 2.76 | 28.47 |
| Integrated graphics card | 2.59 | 6.15 |
| Recency | 1 September 2015 | 5 April 2022 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 16 |
| Threads | 4 | 24 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | 150 Watt |
i3-6100 has 194.1% lower power consumption.
i9-12900KS, on the other hand, has a 931.5% higher aggregate performance score, 137.5% faster integrated GPU, an age advantage of 6 years, 700% more physical cores and 500% more threads, and a 40% more advanced lithography process.
The Core i9-12900KS is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-6100 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-6100 and Core i9-12900KS, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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