Core i5-12400 vs Core i3-12100

CPU Head-to-Head · FPS & Value Comparison

Core i5-12400 vs Core i3-12100: Gaming Performance Comparison in 1080p Ultra

In gaming, the Core i5-12400 delivers approximately +13% higher frame rates compared to the Core i3-12100 in 1080p Ultra. For budget-conscious buyers, the Core i3-12100 currently offers +52.9% better value, available at a $67.47 price difference.

Core i5-12400 Advantages

Up to 13% faster in gaming benchmarks on average – 142 vs 126 FPS

More processing cores – 6 vs 4 cores

Core i3-12100 Advantages

Up to 52.9% better value for money – $0.74 vs $1.13/FPS

Costs only 58% of the price – $93.24 vs $161 (42% cheaper)

Consumes up to 8% less energy – 60W vs 65W

Performance Analytics

Average FPS across 21 games · all benchmarks use the same test suite

1080p Low

Full HD — min settings

AVG FPS
Core i5-12400
142fps(100%)
Core i3-12100
126fps(89%)
WinnerCore i5-12400
+13% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (Core i3-12100 FPS ÷ Core i5-12400 FPS) × 100
Example: (126 ÷ 142) × 100 = 89%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((Core i5-12400 FPS - Core i3-12100 FPS) ÷ Core i3-12100 FPS) × 100
Example: ((142 - 126) ÷ 126) × 100 = 13%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If Core i3-12100 is only 89% as fast, then Core i5-12400 should be 11% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "13% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (89% of and 13% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

Efficiency Coefficient 1080p Ultra (Higher = Better Value)

Performance delivered per currency unit: FPS/$

Core i5-12400
0.884 Value65% Efficiency
Core i3-12100
1.351 Value100% Efficiency