Intel Core i3-12100E vs Intel Core Ultra 7 164U Comparison

The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U and Intel Core i3-12100E occupy different corners of Intel's lineup. The Ultra 7 164U is a Meteor Lake mobile processor with 12 cores and 14 threads, while the i3-12100E is an Alder Lake desktop part with 4 cores and 8 threads. Despite the core count gap, the i3-12100E wins 12 of 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons in the database, though the Ultra 7 164U holds a slight edge in average score and percentile ranking.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U has 12 cores and 14 threads. The Intel Core i3-12100E has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What are the boost clock speeds?

A: The Ultra 7 164U boosts to 4.80 GHz, while the i3-12100E boosts to 4.20 GHz.

Q: Which processor has the higher TDP?

A: The i3-12100E has a 60 W TDP, compared to 9 W for the Ultra 7 164U.

Q: Which processor is newer?

A: The Ultra 7 164U was released on 2023-12-13, while the i3-12100E was released on 2022-01-03.

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark comparisons?

A: The i3-12100E wins 12 of the 17 head-to-head tests, with the Ultra 7 164U winning the remaining 5.

Q: What integrated graphics do they have?

A: The Ultra 7 164U features Arc Xe-LPG 64EU, while the i3-12100E has UHD Graphics 730.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel architectures. The Ultra 7 164U is built on Meteor Lake, using a 7 nm process, while the i3-12100E is Alder Lake-S on a 10 nm process. The Ultra 7 164U is a mobile part with a BGA 2551 socket, whereas the i3-12100E is a desktop chip on Socket 1700. The core configuration differs significantly: the Ultra 7 164U packs 12 cores and 14 threads, while the i3-12100E has 4 cores and 8 threads. Cache hierarchies also differ. The Ultra 7 164U has 112 KB of L1 per core and 2 MB of L2 per core, while the i3-12100E has 80 KB of L1 per core and 1.25 MB of L2 per core. Both share 12 MB of L3 cache. Memory support diverges: the Ultra 7 164U supports DDR5 depending on motherboard, while the i3-12100E supports both DDR4 and DDR5. PCIe connectivity is different as well: the Ultra 7 164U offers Gen 4 with 8 lanes, while the i3-12100E provides Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The integrated graphics also differ, with the Ultra 7 164U using Arc Xe-LPG 64EU and the i3-12100E using UHD Graphics 730. The Ultra 7 164U has a 9 W TDP, reflecting its mobile design, while the i3-12100E has a 60 W TDP for desktop use.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a clear split. The Ultra 7 164U wins in Cinebench R15 both multi-core and single-core, with scores of 1304 and 225 respectively, beating the i3-12100E's 1164 and 164. It also takes Passmark data encryption (8838 vs 8069), floating point math (33581 vs 31919), and integer math (50387 vs 40885). These wins suggest strengths in encryption workloads and math-heavy tasks. The i3-12100E, however, dominates in most other tests. It wins Cinebench R20 multi-core (4854 vs 4488) and single-core (685 vs 633), and Cinebench R23 multi-core (11559 vs 8766) and single-core (1631 vs 1590). In Passmark, it leads in data compression (160112 vs 137133), extended instructions (10814 vs 7918), find prime numbers (63 vs 56), multithread (14271 vs 13296), physics (1185 vs 918), random string sorting (16089 vs 15131), and single thread (3438 vs 2996). The i3-12100E also has a higher Passmark single-thread score, which is notable for lightly threaded applications. Overall, the i3-12100E wins 12 of 17 comparisons, while the Ultra 7 164U wins 5. The average benchmark scores are close: the Ultra 7 164U averages 17074, and the i3-12100E averages 16853. The Ultra 7 164U sits at the 71st percentile of all CPUs, while the i3-12100E is at the 70th.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Ultra 7 164U has 12 cores and 14 threads, while the i3-12100E has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 1100 MHz for the Ultra 7 164U and 3.20 GHz for the i3-12100E. Boost clocks are 4.80 GHz and 4.20 GHz respectively. TDP is 9 W for the Ultra 7 164U and 60 W for the i3-12100E. The Ultra 7 164U uses a BGA 2551 socket, while the i3-12100E uses Socket 1700. Process nodes are 7 nm for the Ultra 7 164U and 10 nm for the i3-12100E. L1 cache per core is 112 KB on the Ultra 7 164U versus 80 KB on the i3-12100E. L2 cache per core is 2 MB versus 1.25 MB. L3 cache is the same at 12 MB shared. Memory support: the Ultra 7 164U supports DDR5 depending on motherboard, while the i3-12100E supports DDR4 and DDR5. PCIe: the Ultra 7 164U has Gen 4 with 8 lanes, the i3-12100E has Gen 5 with 20 lanes. Integrated graphics: Arc Xe-LPG 64EU versus UHD Graphics 730. Market segment: Mobile versus Desktop. Release dates: 2023-12-13 versus 2022-01-03. Launch MSRP: the Ultra 7 164U was $448, and the i3-12100E was $125. Part numbers: SRN85 for the Ultra 7 164U, SRL6U for the i3-12100E. The i3-12100E also has a die size of 163 mm², while the Ultra 7 164U does not report one.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the Ultra 7 164U comes in Cinebench R15 single-core, where it scores 225 against the i3-12100E's 164, a 37.2% advantage. In Passmark integer math, the Ultra 7 164U posts 50387 versus 40885, a 23.2% lead. It also wins Passmark data encryption by 9.5% (8838 vs 8069) and floating point math by 5.2% (33581 vs 31919). In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ultra 7 164U leads by 12% (1304 vs 1164). These are the five tests the Ultra 7 164U wins.

The i3-12100E's biggest win is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where it scores 11559 against 8766, a 24.2% margin. It also takes Passmark extended instructions by 26.8% (10814 vs 7918) and Passmark physics by 22.5% (1185 vs 918). In Passmark data compression, the i3-12100E leads by 14.4% (160112 vs 137133). Single-thread performance favors the i3-12100E by 12.9% in Passmark (3438 vs 2996). The i3-12100E also wins Cinebench R20 multi-core by 7.5% (4854 vs 4488) and single-core by 7.6% (685 vs 633). In Cinebench R23 single-core, the margin is 2.5% (1631 vs 1590). Other wins include Passmark find prime numbers by 11.1% (63 vs 56), multithread by 6.8% (14271 vs 13296), and random string sorting by 6% (16089 vs 15131). The i3-12100E also has a Geekbench multi-core score of 7661 and single-core of 2202, though the database does not list Geekbench results for the Ultra 7 164U.

The overall pattern is that the i3-12100E, despite having fewer cores, delivers higher scores in most modern rendering and compute workloads, likely due to its higher base clock and desktop power envelope. The Ultra 7 164U counters with strong integer and encryption performance, plus a decisive win in the older Cinebench R15 tests. The database records 17 head-to-head comparisons, with the i3-12100E winning 12 and the Ultra 7 164U winning 5.