Intel Core i3-12100TE vs Intel Core i5-8500B Comparison

Intel Core i3-12100TE vs Intel Core i5-8500B: a benchmark comparison between a modern low-power Alder Lake quad-core and an older Coffee Lake six-core. The recorded data shows a clear overall winner: the i3-12100TE wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with every victory falling between 14.2% and 14.5%. Despite having two fewer physical cores, the newer architecture delivers consistently higher scores across the board. The i5-8500B does hold advantages in raw core count, base clock speed, and memory bandwidth, but these do not translate into benchmark wins. The following sections break down where each processor excels, what differs under the hood, and what the scores mean for real-world selection.

Where Each One Wins

The i3-12100TE wins every recorded benchmark in the database. Its head-to-head sweep covers all three Cinebench versions, both multi-core and single-core tests. The largest margin is 14.5% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (862 vs 753), while the smallest is 14.2% in R15 single-core (121 vs 106). The remaining four tests, R20 multi-core, R20 single-core, R23 multi-core, and R23 single-core, all show a 14.4% gap. This consistency suggests the i3-12100TE's advantage is architectural, not workload-specific.

The i5-8500B does not win any of the six recorded head-to-head benchmarks. However, it has one measurable edge outside Cinebench: the Geekbench results in its own benchmark list show a multi-core score of 4998 and a single-core score of 1407. The i3-12100TE has no Geekbench entry in the database, so no direct comparison is possible for that test. The i5-8500B also has a higher base clock (3.00 GHz vs 2.10 GHz) and a slightly higher boost clock (4.10 GHz vs 4.00 GHz), but the benchmark data shows these do not overcome the i3's efficiency.

For users prioritizing multi-threaded rendering, the i3-12100TE leads by 14.4% in R23 multi-core (8558 vs 7480). For single-thread responsiveness, it leads by 14.4% in R23 single-core (1208 vs 1056). The i5-8500B's only potential win condition would be if a workload relies heavily on its two extra physical cores at lower per-core efficiency, but the recorded Cinebench numbers do not support that scenario.

Architecture Differences

The i3-12100TE is built on Alder Lake (Alder Lake-S) using a 10 nm process, while the i5-8500B uses Coffee Lake on a 14 nm node. This process shrink contributes to the i3's lower 35 W TDP versus the i5's 65 W, a significant efficiency gap. The die sizes differ slightly: 163 mm² for the i3, 154 mm² for the i5, despite the i3 having four cores versus six.

Cache layouts are fundamentally different. The i3-12100TE has 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 12 MB shared L3. The i5-8500B has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 9 MB shared L3. The i3's larger per-core L2 (5x the L2 of the i5) and bigger L3 pool help explain its superior single-thread performance despite lower clock speeds.

Memory support diverges: the i3 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the i5 supports only DDR4. Both use dual-channel memory buses, but the i5 lists a specific memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s; the i3 has no bandwidth figure in the database. PCIe connectivity also differs: the i3 offers Gen 5 with 20 CPU lanes, the i5 offers Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes. The i3 uses UHD Graphics 730, the i5 uses UHD Graphics 630.

Socket and mounting are incompatible. The i3 uses Intel Socket 1700, the i5 uses Intel BGA 1440 (soldered). The i5 is marked end-of-life with a release date of April 2, 2018, while the i3 remains active in production. The i3's launch MSRP is $125, the i5's is $192, but price should not factor into performance analysis here.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has higher multi-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The i3-12100TE scores 8558 versus the i5-8500B's 7480, a 14.4% advantage for the i3.

Q: Does the i5-8500B win any benchmark in the head-to-head comparison?

A: No. The i5-8500B records no wins; the i3-12100TE wins all six Cinebench tests (R15, R20, R23, both single and multi-core).

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The i3-12100TE has a 35 W TDP, while the i5-8500B has a 65 W TDP. The i3 consumes less power per the specification.

Q: Which processor supports DDR5 memory?

A: Only the i3-12100TE supports DDR5, along with DDR4. The i5-8500B supports DDR4 only.

Q: How do their single-core Cinebench R20 scores compare?

A: The i3-12100TE scores 507, the i5-8500B scores 443. The i3 leads by 14.4%.

Q: Are these processors on the same socket?

A: No. The i3-12100TE uses Intel Socket 1700, while the i5-8500B uses Intel BGA 1440.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in the following recorded fields:

| Specification | i3-12100TE | i5-8500B |

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

| Cores | 4 | 6 |

| Threads | 8 | 6 |

| Base clock | 2.10 GHz | 3.00 GHz |

| Boost clock | 4.00 GHz | 4.10 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1700 | Intel BGA 1440 |

| Architecture | Alder Lake | Coffee Lake |

| Process node | 10 nm | 14 nm |

| Die size | 163 mm² | 154 mm² |

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

| L2 cache (per core) | 1.25 MB | 256 KB |

| L3 cache (shared) | 12 MB | 9 MB |

| Memory support | DDR4, DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory bandwidth | Not listed | 42.7 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 20 lanes | Gen 3, 16 lanes |

| Integrated graphics | UHD Graphics 730 | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Production status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release date | Not listed | 2018-04-02 |

| Launch MSRP | $125 | $192 |

| Part number | Not listed | SRCX3 |

The i5-8500B has two more physical cores and higher clock speeds, but the i3-12100TE counters with more threads (8 vs 6), larger caches, a newer process, and lower power draw.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

All six head-to-head Cinebench results favor the i3-12100TE. The margins are tightly clustered, indicating a consistent architectural edge rather than a test-specific anomaly.

In Cinebench R15, the i3-12100TE scores 862 multi-core against the i5-8500B's 753, a 14.5% lead. Its single-core score of 121 beats the i5's 106 by 14.2%. These are the largest and smallest deltas in the set, respectively.

Cinebench R20 shows the i3 at 3594 multi-core and 507 single-core, while the i5 manages 3141 and 443. Both deltas are exactly 14.4%. The same 14.4% margin appears in Cinebench R23: 8558 vs 7480 multi-core, and 1208 vs 1056 single-core.

The pattern is clear. Every Cinebench generation, from R15 to R23, shows the i3-12100TE ahead by roughly the same percentage. This uniformity suggests the performance gap is tied to the i3's superior IPC (instructions per clock) from the Alder Lake architecture, which overcomes its lower clock speeds and fewer cores. The i5-8500B's 3.00 GHz base clock is 43% higher than the i3's 2.10 GHz, but the i3 still wins single-core tests by 14.2% to 14.4%, demonstrating that clock speed alone does not determine performance.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear choice: the Intel Core i3-12100TE outperforms the Intel Core i5-8500B in every recorded Cinebench test. It wins by 14.2% to 14.5% across single and multi-core workloads, while consuming 30 W less power (35 W TDP vs 65 W). It also offers newer memory support (DDR4 and DDR5), a more advanced PCIe interface (Gen 5, 20 lanes), and a larger L3 cache (12 MB vs 9 MB).

The i5-8500B retains advantages in physical core count (6 vs 4), base and boost clock speeds (3.00/4.10 GHz vs 2.10/4.00 GHz), and listed memory bandwidth (42.7 GB/s). It also has a lower average benchmark score in its own profile (2423 vs the i3's 2475), though the i3's nearest rivals include the i5-8600 and i5-9500T with scores within 1% of each other.

Users who need maximum multi-threaded throughput in Cinebench-class workloads should choose the i3-12100TE based on its 14.4% R23 multi-core lead. Users who require six physical cores for legacy software or who need the i5's higher base clock for non-benchmarked tasks might prefer the i5-8500B, but the recorded data shows no scenario where it wins a measured test. The i3-12100TE is also the only one still in active production, while the i5-8500B is end-of-life. Given the consistent margins and the efficiency difference, the i3-12100TE is the stronger processor according to the database.