AMD Ryzen 5 4600H vs Intel Core i3-12100E Comparison

The Intel Core i3-12100E and AMD Ryzen 5 4600H represent two fundamentally different approaches to CPU design, and the benchmark data reflects that split clearly. The Intel part, a desktop Alder Lake chip, and the AMD part, a mobile Renoir chip, land in the same performance percentile overall (both sit at the 70th percentile in the database), but they achieve that status through very different strengths. The recorded scores show a processor that wins heavily on single-threaded and lightly-threaded tasks, while the other dominates in specific multi-threaded workloads. The average benchmark scores are close, with the Core i3-12100E at 16853 and the Ryzen 5 4600H at 16341, a difference of roughly 3.1%, but the distribution of wins is far from even.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head comparison is the Geekbench single-core test. The Core i3-12100E scores 2202 against the Ryzen 5 4600H's 1259, a massive 74.9% advantage. This is the largest delta in the entire dataset and underscores the Intel chip's dominance in single-threaded performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core test tells a similar story, with the Intel part scoring 1631 versus 1142.5 for AMD, a 42.8% lead. These are not marginal wins; they are decisive gaps that will be felt in any application that relies on one or two cores.

The multi-core results are more complex. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel Core i3-12100E scores 11559, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H scores 8072, giving Intel a 43.2% advantage. Geekbench multi-core also favors Intel, with a score of 7661 versus 5521, a 38.8% lead. However, the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test tells a different story. Here, the AMD chip wins with 1425 points against Intel's 1164, a delta of -18.3% from Intel's perspective. This discrepancy between Cinebench versions suggests that the workloads have changed, and the newer R23 test favors the Intel architecture more heavily.

The Passmark suite reveals where AMD's strengths lie. The Ryzen 5 4600H wins data compression with a score of 202030 versus Intel's 160112, a 20.7% advantage. It also wins data encryption, scoring 12217 against 8069, a 34% lead. The AMD chip wins integer math (45698 versus 40885, a 10.5% lead) and random string sorting (21689 versus 16089, a 25.8% lead). These are all heavily multi-threaded workloads that benefit from the AMD chip's higher core count.

Intel's wins in the Passmark suite are equally telling. The find prime numbers test shows Intel at 63 versus AMD's 28, a 125% advantage. This is a workload that is highly sensitive to single-thread speed and possibly instruction efficiency. Intel also wins floating point math (31919 versus 26909, an 18.6% lead) and physics (1185 versus 629, an 88.4% lead). The physics score is particularly lopsided, suggesting a major difference in how the two architectures handle that specific calculation. The Passmark multithread score is nearly identical, with Intel at 14271 and AMD at 14228, a 0.3% edge for Intel, and the single-thread scores show Intel winning 3438 to 2418, a 42.2% margin.

The overall win count is 10 for Intel and 7 for AMD, but the nature of the wins matters more than the tally. Intel's victories tend to be large margins in single-thread and modern multi-thread tests, while AMD's wins are concentrated in specific legacy or integer-heavy multi-thread workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-12100E is the clear choice for any workload that values raw single-thread performance. The Geekbench single-core score of 2202 is not just a win, it is a statement. The 74.9% lead over the Ryzen 5 4600H in that test means that everyday responsiveness, lightly-threaded applications, and games that rely on a few fast cores will favor the Intel part. The Cinebench R23 single-core result reinforces this, as does the Passmark single-thread score. The Intel chip also wins in modern multi-thread renderers, as shown by the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11559, which is 43.2% ahead. The physics score is another Intel stronghold, with an 88.4% lead, indicating that this chip handles certain simulation workloads far better.

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, takes the crown in data-heavy and encryption-heavy tasks. The data compression win (202030 versus 160112, a 20.7% lead) and the data encryption win (12217 versus 8069, a 34% lead) are substantial. These are workloads that scale with core count and memory bandwidth, and the AMD chip's dual-channel DDR4 support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth helps it here. The integer math and random string sorting wins also favor AMD, making it a better fit for certain productivity and server-like tasks. The older Cinebench R15 multi-core test, which AMD wins at 1425 versus 1164, suggests that legacy software that is optimized for many threads may still perform better on the AMD chip.

In short, the Intel chip is the better all-around performer for modern applications and anything that does not scale perfectly with many cores. The AMD chip is a specialist that excels in specific multi-threaded workloads, particularly those involving data processing and encryption.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies and manufacturing processes. The Intel Core i3-12100E is built on a 10 nm process at Intel's own foundry, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H uses a 7 nm process from TSMC. This process advantage for AMD is significant, but the Intel chip compensates with a newer architecture. Intel's Alder Lake-S architecture is the 12th generation Core design, while AMD's Renoir is based on the Zen 2 architecture, which is older.

The core configurations are fundamentally different. The Intel i3-12100E has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H has 6 cores and 12 threads. This gives AMD a 50% advantage in core count, which explains its wins in heavily multi-threaded workloads. However, the Intel chip has a higher base clock (3.20 GHz versus 3.00 GHz) and a higher boost clock (4.20 GHz versus 4.00 GHz), which contributes to its single-thread dominance.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The Intel chip has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD chip has 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The larger cache structure on the Intel part, especially the L3 cache, likely plays a role in its performance in certain workloads.

Memory support is another differentiator. The Intel chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD chip supports only DDR4. This gives the Intel platform more future-proofing options, although the AMD chip's memory bandwidth is quantified at 51.2 GB/s in the database. The Intel chip also has PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes, while the AMD chip has PCIe Gen 3. This is a major generational difference that affects connectivity and expansion options. The Intel chip also has a larger die size (163 mm² versus 156 mm²) but the AMD chip uses fewer transistors per the data, with 9,800 million transistors recorded for AMD while Intel's count is not listed.

The integrated graphics differ as well, with Intel using UHD Graphics 730 and AMD using Radeon RX Vega 6. The Intel chip is a desktop part with a TDP of 60, while the AMD chip is a mobile part with a TDP of 45. This power difference is reflected in their market segments and sockets: Intel uses Socket 1700 while AMD uses Socket FP6.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100E is decisively faster in single-thread tests. It scores 2202 in Geekbench single-core versus 1259 for the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, a 74.9% lead. The Passmark single-thread score also favors Intel at 3438 versus 2418.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H ever beat the Intel chip in multi-core tests?

A: Yes, in specific workloads. The AMD chip wins Cinebench R15 multi-core (1425 versus 1164) and Passmark data compression (202030 versus 160112). It also wins data encryption and integer math tests.

Q: What is the most significant architecture difference between the two?

A: The core count and manufacturing process. The Intel Core i3-12100E has 4 cores and 8 threads on a 10 nm Intel process, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H has 6 cores and 12 threads on a 7 nm TSMC process. The AMD chip has 9,800 million transistors.

Q: Which chip supports DDR5 memory?

A: Only the Intel Core i3-12100E supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The AMD Ryzen 5 4600H is limited to DDR4 memory support.

Q: How do their overall performance averages compare?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100E has an average benchmark score of 16853, while the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H has an average of 16341. Both processors sit at the 70th percentile in the database, meaning they are statistically equivalent in overall ranking.

Q: Why does the Intel chip win the Passmark physics test by so much?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100E scores 1185 in Passmark physics versus 629 for the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, an 88.4% advantage. This likely reflects differences in the architecture's handling of simulation and physics calculations, though the exact reason is not in the data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i3-12100E | AMD Ryzen 5 4600H |

|----------------|----------------------|---------------------|

| Cores | 4 | 6 |

| Threads | 8 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 3.20 GHz | 3.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.20 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| TDP | 60 | 45 |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | AMD Socket FP6 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Zen 2 |

| Codename | Alder Lake-S | Renoir |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not listed | 9,800 million |

| Die Size | 163 mm² | 156 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 12 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 51.2 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 20 Lanes | Gen 3 |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 730 | Radeon RX Vega 6 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2020-01-05 |

| Launch MSRP | $125 | Not listed |

| Part Number | SRL6U | 100-000000100 |

The release dates show a two-year gap, with Intel launching in January 2022 and AMD in January 2020. The Intel chip has a launch MSRP of $125, while no MSRP is recorded for the AMD part. The Intel chip's PCIe Gen 5 support is a notable advantage over AMD's Gen 3, and the Intel chip's larger L3 cache (12 MB versus 8 MB) may contribute to its performance edge in many tests. The AMD chip's higher core count and larger transistor count (9,800 million) are its primary advantages, but they do not translate into overall wins in the majority of benchmarks recorded in the database.