Intel Core i3-12100T vs Intel Core i5-11500T Comparison

# Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between these two 35-watt desktop processors is unusually clean. The Intel Core i5-11500T takes six of eight head-to-head tests, but the two it loses are decisive and point toward very different usage scenarios.

In Cinebench — both the R15 and R20 and R23 versions — the i5-11500T wins every single test, but by a narrow margin. The multicore deltas are 3.4% in R15 (1093 vs 1057), 3.5% in R20 (4558 vs 4405), and 3.5% in R23 (10854 vs 10490). The single-core deltas are nearly identical: 3.4% in R15 (154 vs 149), 3.4% in R20 (643 vs 622), and 3.4% in R23 (1532 vs 1481). So the i5-11500T holds a consistent, if modest, advantage in render workloads.

The i3-12100T flips the script in Geekbench. The multicore score of 6055 beats the i5-11500T’s 5774 by 4.6%, and the single-core score of 1957 beats 1696 by a substantial 13.3%. That single-core gap is the largest delta anywhere in the head-to-head results, and it points to the i3-12100T being the stronger choice for latency-sensitive, lightly threaded tasks.

The pattern is clear: the i5-11500T wins sustained render workloads by a small but reliable margin, while the i3-12100T wins short-burst and single-thread performance by a much larger margin. For workloads that rely on Geekbench-style integer and floating-point operations, the i3-12100T is the more capable part. For long-running multi-threaded renders, the i5-11500T holds the edge.

# Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different Intel generations and different process nodes. The i5-11500T is Rocket Lake, built on Intel’s 14 nm process with a die size of 276 mm². The i3-12100T is Alder Lake-S, built on Intel’s 10 nm process with a die size of 163 mm² — a much smaller die on a denser node.

Core counts differ significantly. The i5-11500T has 6 cores and 12 threads; the i3-12100T has 4 cores and 8 threads. That two-core advantage is the main reason the i5-11500T wins Cinebench multicore tests. The i3-12100T compensates with higher clock speeds: its base clock is 2.20 GHz and boost clock is 4.10 GHz, versus 1.50 GHz base and 3.90 GHz boost for the i5-11500T. The boost advantage of 200 MHz helps explain the i3-12100T’s single-core superiority.

Cache layouts also differ. Both share 12 MB of L3 cache, but the L2 cache per core is very different: the i5-11500T has 511 KB per core, while the i3-12100T has 1.25 MB per core. L1 cache is identical at 80 KB per core. The larger per-core L2 on the i3-12100T likely contributes to its stronger Geekbench single-core showing.

Memory support diverges as well. The i5-11500T supports only DDR4 with dual-channel memory and a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The i3-12100T supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, though no bandwidth figure is listed in the data. The i3-12100T also has PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the i5-11500T has PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only). Neither chip supports ECC memory.

Integrated graphics differ: the i5-11500T carries UHD Graphics 750, while the i3-12100T has UHD Graphics 730. Both are 35 W TDP parts, both have locked multipliers, and both are desktop market segment products. The i5-11500T uses Intel Socket 1200; the i3-12100T uses Intel Socket 1700, meaning they are not socket-compatible.

The i5-11500T was released on 2021-03-15 with a launch MSRP of $192. The i3-12100T’s release date is not listed, but its launch MSRP is $122. The i5-11500T is end-of-life, while the i3-12100T is active production.

# The Verdict

The data shows two chips with nearly identical average benchmark scores — 3288 for the i5-11500T and 3277 for the i3-12100T — placing both at the 53rd percentile of all CPUs. The i5-11500T’s average is 0.3% higher, a margin that is essentially negligible in real-world terms. Yet the benchmark distribution tells a more interesting story.

If your workload is dominated by multi-threaded rendering in Cinebench, the i5-11500T is the pick. It wins all six Cinebench tests by 3.4% to 3.5%, and it does so with two extra cores. The margin is not huge, but it is consistent across every Cinebench version tested.

If your workload involves single-thread performance or Geekbench-style tasks, the i3-12100T is clearly superior. Its 13.3% single-core Geekbench lead is the largest performance gap in the entire comparison, and it also wins multicore Geekbench by 4.6%. The higher boost clock and larger per-core L2 cache appear to be decisive in these tests.

The production status matters too. The i5-11500T is end-of-life; the i3-12100T is active. For new system builds, the i3-12100T offers a modern socket, PCIe Gen 5, DDR5 support, and a lower launch MSRP of $122 versus $192. The i5-11500T is a capable part, but it is a dead platform with older memory and PCIe standards.

For most buyers, the i3-12100T is the more sensible choice: it wins the single-core tests by a wide margin, wins multicore Geekbench, and is actively produced on a newer node. The i5-11500T is only worth considering if your specific application is Cinebench-style rendering and you need those extra two cores — and even then, the lead is only about 3.5%. The data favors the i3-12100T for general use.

# FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Core i5-11500T wins 6 of 8 head-to-head tests. The Intel Core i3-12100T wins 2 tests — both Geekbench tests.

Q: How much faster is the i3-12100T in single-core Geekbench?

A: The i3-12100T scores 1957 in Geekbench single-core, which is 13.3% higher than the i5-11500T’s 1696. This is the largest performance gap in the comparison.

Q: Does the i5-11500T have more cores than the i3-12100T?

A: Yes. The i5-11500T has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i3-12100T has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The i5-11500T has an average benchmark score of 3288, while the i3-12100T averages 3277. That puts the i5-11500T 0.3% ahead, which is within the margin of error.

Q: Which processor supports DDR5 memory?

A: Only the Intel Core i3-12100T supports DDR5 memory, along with DDR4. The i5-11500T supports only DDR4.

Q: Are these processors still in production?

A: The i5-11500T is end-of-life. The i3-12100T is listed as active production.

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest win for the i5-11500T comes in Cinebench R23 multicore, where it scores 10854 against the i3-12100T’s 10490 — a 3.5% lead. That is the same delta seen in Cinebench R20 multicore (4558 vs 4405) and nearly the same in R15 multicore (1093 vs 1057, 3.4%). The i5-11500T also wins every single-core Cinebench test by 3.4%, including R23 single-core (1532 vs 1481), R20 single-core (643 vs 622), and R15 single-core (154 vs 149). These are consistent results: across six Cinebench tests, the i5-11500T never leads by less than 3.4% and never by more than 3.5%.

The i3-12100T’s wins are far more dramatic. In Geekbench single-core, it scores 1957 versus 1696 for the i5-11500T — a 13.3% advantage. This is more than three times larger than any Cinebench delta. In Geekbench multicore, the i3-12100T scores 6055 versus 5774, a 4.6% lead. Interestingly, the i3-12100T wins multicore Geekbench while having only 4 cores and 8 threads, compared to the i5-11500T’s 6 cores and 12 threads. The i3-12100T’s higher boost clock of 4.10 GHz versus 3.90 GHz and its larger per-core L2 cache (1.25 MB vs 511 KB) appear to be decisive factors.

The pattern across all eight benchmarks is that the i5-11500T wins by a small, uniform margin in Cinebench, while the i3-12100T wins by a large margin in Geekbench. The Cinebench wins are narrow enough that they could be attributed to the extra two cores. The Geekbench wins are substantial enough that they suggest a genuine architectural advantage for the i3-12100T in that workload. The average benchmark scores reflect this split: 3288 for the i5-11500T, 3277 for the i3-12100T, with the i5-11500T’s nearest rival being the Intel Xeon E-2374G at 3278 (0.3% delta) and the i3-12100T’s nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2516 at 3277 (0% delta).

The data offers no ambiguity about which chip wins Cinebench — it is the i5-11500T, every time, by roughly 3.5%. And the data offers no ambiguity about which chip wins Geekbench — it is the i3-12100T, by margins ranging from 4.6% to 13.3%. The choice between them depends entirely on which benchmark suite better represents your actual workload.