i3-12100F vs Ryzen 5 5500
The i3-12100F is about 8% faster at 1080p, and they cost about the same right now. For the money, the Ryzen 5 5500 is the better buy.
Processor · faster
Core i3-12100F
—
No new stock · used about $77
- Cores / threads
- 4C/8T
- Socket
- LGA1700
- Memory
- DDR4 or DDR5
- Peak power
- 89 W
- Cooler in the box
- Yes
- Built-in graphics
- No
- Released
- 2022
Processor · better value
Ryzen 5 5500
—
No new stock · used about $65
- Cores / threads
- 6C/12T
- Socket
- AM4
- Memory
- DDR4
- Peak power
- 76 W
- Cooler in the box
- Yes
- Built-in graphics
- No
- Released
- 2022
Average frame rates
Estimated across demanding games at High settings, each tested with an RTX 5090 and 32 GB of fast memory, so the processor is what limits the frame rate.
Cost per frame at 1080p: i3-12100F $1 · Ryzen 5 5500 $1
Game by game at 1080p
| Game | i3-12100F | Ryzen 5 5500 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 93 | 86 | i3-12100F +8% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 103 | 95 | i3-12100F +8% |
| Fortnite | 135 | 125 | i3-12100F +8% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 270 | 250 | i3-12100F +8% |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 114 | 106 | i3-12100F +8% |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | 83 | 77 | i3-12100F +8% |
Which processor should you buy?
- Better value: the Ryzen 5 5500 costs less per frame ($1 vs $1 per fps at 1080p).
- They need different motherboards: the i3-12100F uses LGA1700 and the Ryzen 5 5500 uses AM4 (AM4 is the older platform, with no new processors coming).
See how either processor pairs with your graphics card in the bottleneck checker.
Frame rates are Rigsmith estimates from its performance indices, not measured benchmarks. Prices are the cheapest in-stock new price at Australian stores as of 12/11/2026, including GST.