AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS vs Intel Core i3-12100E Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS and Intel Core i3-12100E are both 4-core, 8-thread processors, but they target different platforms and deliver distinctly different performance profiles. The data shows the Intel Core i3-12100E is the clear performance winner, taking 15 of 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS secures only 2 wins. The Intel chip leads by nearly 10% in every Cinebench test, and its advantage stretches to over 50% in specific workloads like physics and prime number calculations. However, the AMD part is a mobile chip with a 45W TDP and Radeon 660M integrated graphics, while the Intel part is a desktop chip with a 60W TDP and UHD Graphics 730. The verdict hinges on platform: for raw compute in a desktop, the i3-12100E is the data-backed choice; for a low-power mobile system, the Ryzen 5 7235HS is the only one of the two that fits, despite its performance deficit.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous about which processor is faster. The Intel Core i3-12100E wins 15 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, with its only losses coming in encryption and extended instruction workloads. The Intel chip’s average benchmark score of 16853 is nearly identical to the AMD chip’s 16902, a difference of just 0.3%, but that average masks the distribution of wins. The Intel chip dominates multi-threaded and single-threaded tests alike, with Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11559 versus 10418 for the AMD, a 9.9% gap. The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS’s wins are narrow, with a 0.7% edge in extended instructions and a 12.2% edge in data encryption.

Buyers should pick the Intel Core i3-12100E for any desktop build where performance is the priority, as the data shows it is ahead in rendering, integer math, floating-point math, and physics simulations. The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS is the correct choice only when the platform requires a mobile processor on AMD Socket FP7, where the Intel chip cannot be installed. The data does not support choosing the AMD part for performance reasons; it supports choosing it for its form factor and integrated Radeon 660M graphics. Both chips sit at the 70th percentile of all CPUs, meaning they are statistically equivalent in overall standing, but the Intel chip achieves that standing with more decisive wins.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-12100E wins across every major rendering benchmark and most PassMark workloads. In Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, both multi-core and single-core, the Intel chip leads by 9.8% to 9.9%. The same pattern holds in PassMark integer math, where Intel scores 40885 versus 40174, a 1.7% edge, and in floating-point math, where Intel scores 31919 versus 23091, a commanding 27.7% lead. The Intel chip also wins the PassMark multi-thread test with 14271 versus 12243, a 14.2% advantage, and the single-thread test with 3438 versus 2873, a 16.4% lead. The largest Intel wins come in physics, where it scores 1185 versus 574, a 51.6% margin, and in prime number finding, where it scores 63 versus 31, a 50.8% margin.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS wins only two tests, both in PassMark’s security-related workloads. It scores 9051 in data encryption versus Intel’s 8069, a 12.2% lead, and 10887 in extended instructions versus Intel’s 10814, a 0.7% edge. These wins suggest the AMD chip has a specialized advantage in cryptographic and instruction-set-heavy tasks, but the overall pattern is clear: the Intel chip wins in general computing, content creation, and simulation workloads, while the AMD chip wins in narrow, specific operations.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages and manufacturing processes. The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS is built on TSMC’s 6 nm process and uses the Zen 3+ architecture, codenamed Rembrandt-R, part of the Ryzen 7000 series. It has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip is a mobile part with a 45W TDP, fitting into AMD Socket FP7, and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. It also supports ECC memory and includes Radeon 660M integrated graphics. The die size is 210 mm².

The Intel Core i3-12100E, in contrast, is a desktop part from the Core 12th Gen family, using the Alder Lake architecture on Intel’s 10 nm process. It also has 4 cores and 8 threads, with identical base and boost clocks of 3.20 GHz and 4.20 GHz. However, its cache configuration differs significantly: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache, giving it 50% more L3 than the AMD chip. The Intel part has a 60W TDP, which is 15W higher than the AMD chip, and uses Intel Socket 1700. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, but the fact pack does not list its memory bandwidth. It does not support ECC memory, and its integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 730. The die size is 163 mm², smaller than the AMD chip, and it uses PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes, while the AMD chip uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The Intel chip was released on 2022-01-03 with a launch MSRP of $125, while the AMD chip’s release date and MSRP are not listed.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS has an average benchmark score of 16902, while the Intel Core i3-12100E has an average score of 16853. The AMD chip is 0.3% ahead, but this difference is negligible.

Q: How much faster is the Intel Core i3-12100E in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel chip scores 11559 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the AMD chip scores 10418. That is a 9.9% advantage for Intel.

Q: In which benchmarks does the AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS outperform the Intel chip?

A: The AMD chip wins only two tests: PassMark data encryption (9051 versus 8069, a 12.2% lead) and PassMark extended instructions (10887 versus 10814, a 0.7% lead).

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two chips?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS has a 45W TDP, while the Intel Core i3-12100E has a 60W TDP. The AMD chip is rated for lower power consumption.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 8 threads, with identical base clocks of 3.20 GHz and boost clocks of 4.20 GHz.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7235HS supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i3-12100E does not.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a consistent pattern of Intel dominance across rendering and general compute workloads. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel chip scores 1164 versus 1050 for AMD, a 9.8% lead, and the same 9.8% margin appears in Cinebench R15 single-core (164 versus 148). The Cinebench R20 tests show a 9.9% gap in both multi-core (4854 versus 4375) and single-core (685 versus 617). Cinebench R23 follows the same trend, with Intel leading 11559 versus 10418 in multi-core and 1631 versus 1470 in single-core, both at 9.9%. These rendering benchmarks are a strong indicator of content creation performance, and the Intel chip is consistently ahead by roughly one-tenth.

The PassMark suite shows a wider range of deltas. In integer math, the Intel chip’s lead is narrow at 1.7% (40885 versus 40174), but in floating-point math, the Intel chip is 27.7% ahead (31919 versus 23091). The multi-thread test shows Intel ahead by 14.2% (14271 versus 12243), and the single-thread test shows Intel ahead by 16.4% (3438 versus 2873). The most dramatic Intel wins come in physics and prime number finding, where the Intel chip is more than twice as fast: 1185 versus 574 in physics (a 51.6% delta) and 63 versus 31 in prime numbers (a 50.8% delta). The Intel chip also wins data compression (160112 versus 152168, a 5% lead) and random string sorting (16089 versus 15294, a 4.9% lead).

The AMD chip’s two wins are notable but isolated. In data encryption, the AMD chip scores 9051 against Intel’s 8069, a 12.2% margin, which is the largest single win for either side outside of physics and prime numbers. In extended instructions, the AMD chip’s 10887 barely edges out Intel’s 10814, a 0.7% difference. The overall win count stands at 15 for Intel and 2 for AMD, a decisive margin that reflects the Intel chip’s stronger per-core and multi-threaded performance across diverse workloads. While the average benchmark scores are nearly identical (a 0.3% difference), the distribution of wins shows that the Intel chip is the better performer in the majority of real-world tasks, while the AMD chip’s advantages are confined to encryption and specialized instruction handling.