Intel Core i3-1115G4 vs Intel Core i9-12900E Comparison

The recorded data makes this comparison unusually lopsided. The Intel Core i3-1115G4 is a dual-core mobile processor from the Tiger Lake family, while the Intel Core i9-12900E is a sixteen-core desktop part built on the Alder Lake architecture. Across every shared benchmark in the database, the i9-12900E wins, often by margins near 79 percent. What follows walks through the recorded specifications, benchmark scores, and the situations where each chip still makes sense.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The Core i9-12900E wins all eight head-to-head tests in the database. Its smallest lead is 25.1 percent in Geekbench single-core (1775 versus 1330); its largest is 79.1 percent in Cinebench R20 single-core (1394 versus 292).

Q: How large is the multi-core gap?

A: Very large. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i9-12900E scores 23529 against 4933 for the i3-1115G4. In Geekbench multi-core, the gap is 10280 versus 2465, a 76 percent difference.

Q: Do both chips use the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes. Both are built on a 10 nm process at Intel. The differences come from core counts, cache sizes, and platform features rather than lithography.

Q: Can either processor be overclocked?

A: Only the Core i9-12900E has an unlocked multiplier. The Core i3-1115G4 does not.

Q: Which memory types does each support?

A: The i3-1115G4 supports DDR4 and LPDDR4X. The i9-12900E supports DDR4 and DDR5. Both use a dual-channel memory bus.

Q: What was each chip's launch MSRP?

A: The Core i3-1115G4 carries a launch MSRP of $281. The Core i9-12900E carries a launch MSRP of $494.

Architecture Differences

Both processors come from Intel and share a 10 nm process node, but nearly everything above that layer diverges. The Core i3-1115G4 belongs to the Tiger Lake architecture, codenamed Tiger Lake-U, and is a Willow Cove-U Core i3 part aimed at the mobile segment. The Core i9-12900E belongs to Core 12th Gen, built on the Alder Lake architecture, codenamed Alder Lake-S, and serves the desktop segment.

The core topology is the defining difference: 2 cores and 4 threads on the i3 against 16 cores and 24 threads on the i9. Clock behavior also favors the i9, with a base clock of 2.30 versus 2.20 and a boost clock of 5.00 versus 4.10. Cache tells the same story. Per-core L1 and L2 allocations are identical in the database at 80 KB and 1.25 MB respectively, but shared L3 differs by a factor of five: 6 MB on the i3-1115G4 and 30 MB on the i9-12900E. Die sizes reflect this scale difference, at 144 mm² for the Tiger Lake part versus 215 mm² for the Alder Lake part.

Platform connectivity diverges sharply. The i3-1115G4 offers PCIe Gen 4 with 4 CPU lanes, while the i9-12900E offers PCIe Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes, a substantial advantage for expansion and fast storage. The sockets are incompatible: Intel BGA 1449, a soldered mobile package, against Intel Socket 1700, a desktop socket. Integrated graphics also differ, with Iris Xe-LP Graphics G4 on the i3 and UHD Graphics 770 on the i9. Neither chip supports ECC memory. The i9-12900E shipped later, with a release date of January 2022 against September 2020 for the i3-1115G4, and both remain listed as Active in the database.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the shared benchmark set, the i9-12900E wins everywhere: eight tests, eight victories. The i3-1115G4 records zero head-to-head wins. The closest contest is Geekbench single-core, where the i3-1115G4 posts 1330 against 1775. That gap of 25.1 percent is the smallest in the dataset and indicates the Willow Cove cores remain serviceable in lightly threaded workloads, but they still trail the Alder Lake cores even in the i3's best case.

Where the i3-1115G4 holds relevance is context rather than performance. It is a mobile part with a TDP of 15 against 65 for the i9-12900E, designed for thin systems where the i9's thermal envelope is not viable. Its LPDDR4X support and Iris Xe-LP Graphics G4 suit it to portable machines. The database also records a broader set of Passmark subtests for the i3-1115G4: 5915 in multithread, 2585 in single thread, 17472 in integer math, 10791 in floating point math, 62444 in data compression, 3339 in encryption, 4588 in extended instructions, 410 in physics, 7662 in string sorting, and 25 in finding prime numbers. These entries have no matching i9 results, so they describe the i3's absolute output rather than a comparison.

For heavily threaded workloads such as rendering, the i9-12900E is the only option of the two. For compact, low-power mobile designs, the i3-1115G4 is the only option of the two, since the two parts occupy different sockets and market segments entirely.

Specification Differences

The fields where these processors differ are extensive:

• Cores and threads: 2 cores, 4 threads (i3-1115G4) versus 16 cores, 24 threads (i9-12900E)
• Base clock: 2.20 versus 2.30
• Boost clock: 4.10 versus 5.00
• TDP: 15 versus 65
• Socket: Intel BGA 1449 versus Intel Socket 1700
• Architecture: Tiger Lake versus Alder Lake, with codenames Tiger Lake-U and Alder Lake-S
• Generation: Core i3 (Willow Cove-U) versus Core i9 (Alder Lake-S), the latter in the Core 12th Gen series
• Shared L3 cache: 6 MB versus 30 MB
• Memory support: DDR4 and LPDDR4X versus DDR4 and DDR5
• PCIe: Gen 4 with 4 CPU lanes versus Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes
• Integrated graphics: Iris Xe-LP Graphics G4 versus UHD Graphics 770
• Market segment: Mobile versus Desktop
• Release date: September 2020 versus January 2022
• Multiplier: locked versus unlocked
• Part numbers: SRK08 versus SRL6B
• Die size: 144 mm² versus 215 mm²
• Launch MSRP: $281 versus $494

Fields that match include manufacturer, foundry, process node, per-core L1 and L2 cache sizes, memory bus width, ECC support, and production status.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results show a consistent pattern. In R15 multi-core, the i9-12900E scores 2371 against 497, a 79 percent gap. R15 single-core is also a 79 percent gap, 334 versus 70. Cinebench R20 multi-core reads 9882 against 2071, and R20 single-core reads 1394 against 292, a 79.1 percent gap, the largest in the dataset. R23 continues the trend: 23529 versus 4933 in multi-core and 3321 versus 696 in single-core, both 79 percent gaps.

Geekbench adds nuance. In multi-core the i9-12900E posts 10280 against 2465, a 76 percent lead, marginally closer than the Cinebench spreads, which fits a test suite that does not scale as cleanly to twenty-four threads. In single-core the i9 scores 1775 against 1330, a 25.1 percent gap. This is the narrowest result recorded between the two and shows that per-thread performance favors Alder Lake clearly but not overwhelmingly.

For context against the wider database, the i3-1115G4 holds an average benchmark score of 6851 and sits at the 63rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Athlon X4 970 at an average score of 6850, effectively dead even, the AMD Athlon Silver 10 at 6849, the Intel Xeon W-2195 at 6892, and the Intel Xeon Gold 6154 at 6803. The i9-12900E, with an average score of 6611 at the 62nd percentile, clusters near the Intel Pentium Gold G6405 at 6605, the Intel Core i9-10940X at 6605, the Intel Core i5-13500E at 6586, and the Intel Core i5-13400E at 6638. The near-identical average scores and percentiles are an artifact of how the averages are computed across different test sets, and they should not obscure the fact that the i9 dominates every directly comparable workload.

The Verdict

The data supports one conclusion: in any workload where both processors can be compared, the Core i9-12900E is faster, by margins ranging from 25.1 percent in Geekbench single-core to 79.1 percent in Cinebench R20 single-core. Users choosing a chip for rendering, multi-core compute, or anything that benefits from 16 cores, 24 threads, 30 MB of shared L3 cache, and PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes should select the i9-12900E. Its unlocked multiplier also allows tuning.

The Core i3-1115G4 is not a rival in performance terms; it is a different class of product. Its case rests on a 15-watt TDP, a mobile BGA package, LPDDR4X support, and Iris Xe-LP integrated graphics, attributes that suit thin portable systems where the i9-12900E's 65-watt desktop envelope and Socket 1700 package cannot fit. Buyers pairing the two side by side in a purchase decision are effectively comparing a mobile efficiency part with a desktop performance part, and the recorded benchmarks indicate the i9-12900E wins every measurable contest between them.