Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i3-12300

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i5-12500 CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i3-12300
Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i3-12300

CPU comparison

Intel Core i5-12500 or Intel Core i3-12300 - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Intel Core i5-12500 has 6 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.60 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i5-12500 was released in Q1/2022.

The Intel Core i3-12300 has 4 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.40 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Intel Core i3-12300 was released in Q1/2022.
Intel Core i5 Family Intel Core i3
Intel Core i 12000 CPU group Intel Core i 12000
12 Generation 12
Alder Lake S Architecture Alder Lake S
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i5-11500 Predecessor --
Intel Core i5-13500 Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i5-12500 has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-12500 is 3.00 GHz (4.60 GHz) while the Intel Core i3-12300 has 4 CPU cores and 8 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-12300 is at --.

6 Cores 4
12 Threads 8
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? No
3.00 GHz Frequency 3.50 GHz
4.60 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 Core) 4.40 GHz
4.00 GHz Turbo Frequency (All Cores) 4.20 GHz

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i5-12500 or Intel Core i3-12300 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

Intel UHD Graphics 770 GPU Intel UHD Graphics 730
0.30 GHz GPU frequency 0.30 GHz
1.45 GHz GPU (Turbo) 1.45 GHz
11 GPU Generation 12
10 nm Technology 14 nm
3 Max. displays 3
32 Execution units 24
256 Shader 192
64 GB Max. GPU Memory 64 GB
12 DirectX Version 12

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode Codec AV1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec AVC Decode / Encode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The Intel Core i5-12500 can use up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 76.8 GB/s. The Intel Core i3-12300 supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 76.8 GB/s.

DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800 Memory DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800
128 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
76.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
Yes ECC No
7.50 MB L2 Cache 5.00 MB
18.00 MB L3 Cache 12.00 MB
5.0 PCIe version 5.0
20 PCIe lanes 20

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Intel Core i5-12500 is 65 W, while the Intel Core i3-12300 has a TDP of 60 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 60 W
117 W TDP (PL2) 89 W
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The Intel Core i5-12500 is manufactured in 10 nm and has 25.50 MB cache. The Intel Core i3-12300 is manufactured in 10 nm and has a 25.50 MB cache.

10 nm Technology 10 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+ ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX2+
LGA 1700 Socket LGA 1700
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q1/2022 Release date Q1/2022
202 $ Release price 143 $
show more data show more data



Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
1804 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all Cinebench R23 (Single-Core) results



Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
12974 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.20 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core) results



Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
688 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.40 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all Cinebench R20 (Single-Core) results



Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
4960 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.20 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core) results



Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
2365 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.40 GHz
2235 (95%)
Show all Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) results



Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
10401 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.20 GHz
8288 (80%)
Show all Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) results



Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
1804 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.40 GHz
1739 (96%)
Show all Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core) results



Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
8973 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.20 GHz
7834 (87%)
Show all Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core) results



iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
Intel UHD Graphics 770 @ 1.45 GHz
742 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
Intel UHD Graphics 730 @ 1.45 GHz
557 (75%)
Show all iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS) results



Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
178 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.20 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all Blender 3.1 Benchmark results



Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
20002 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 4.20 GHz
14876 (74%)
Show all Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark results



CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.00 GHz
4732 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core) results



V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

V-Ray is a 3D rendering software from the manufacturer Chaos for designers and artists. Unlike many other render engines, V-Ray is capable of so-called hybrid rendering, in which the CPU and GPU work together at the same time.

However, the CPU benchmark we used (CPU Render Mode) only uses the system's processor. The working memory used plays a major role in the V-Ray benchmark. For our benchmarks we use the fastest RAM standard approved by the manufacturer (without overclocking).

Due to the high compatibility of V-Ray (including Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, SketchUp, Unreal Engine and Blender), it is a frequently used software. With V-Ray, for example, photorealistic images can be rendered that laypeople cannot distinguish from normal photos.

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500
6C 12T @ 3.00 GHz
8912 (100%)
Intel Core i3-12300 Intel Core i3-12300
4C 8T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark results



Devices using this processor

Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i3-12300
Unknown Unknown

Leaderboards

In our leaderboards, we have clearly compiled the best processors for specific categories for you. The leaderboards are always up to date and are regularly updated by us. The best processors are selected according to popularity and speed in benchmarks as well as the price-performance ratio.


Popular comparisons containing this CPUs

1. Intel Core i5-12400Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12400 vs Intel Core i5-12500
2. AMD Ryzen 5 5600GIntel Core i5-12500 AMD Ryzen 5 5600G vs Intel Core i5-12500
3. Intel Core i5-12500Intel Core i7-12700 Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i7-12700
4. Intel Core i5-12500Intel Core i5-12600 Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i5-12600
5. Intel Core i5-12500AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Intel Core i5-12500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6. Intel Core i5-12500TIntel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500T vs Intel Core i5-12500
7. Intel Core i5-12500Intel Core i5-13500 Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i5-13500
8. Intel Core i5-12500AMD Ryzen 7 5700G Intel Core i5-12500 vs AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
9. Intel Core i3-12300Intel Core i3-12100 Intel Core i3-12300 vs Intel Core i3-12100
10. Intel Core i7-10700Intel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i7-10700 vs Intel Core i5-12500
11. Intel Core i5-12500HIntel Core i5-12500 Intel Core i5-12500H vs Intel Core i5-12500
12. Intel Core i5-12500Intel Core i5-12400F Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i5-12400F
13. Intel Core i5-12500Intel Core i5-12600K Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i5-12600K
14. Intel Core i5-12500Intel Core i7-11700 Intel Core i5-12500 vs Intel Core i7-11700
15. AMD Ryzen 7 5700XIntel Core i5-12500 AMD Ryzen 7 5700X vs Intel Core i5-12500


back to index