Intel Core i3 (12th Gen) i3-12100 Quad-core (4 Core) 3.30 GHz Processor - Retail Pack

I've been using the Intel Core i3-12100 in my DIY TrueNAS server, and it's proven to be a solid choice. The quad-core performance at 3.30 GHz handles my data storage and retrieval tasks with ease, ensuring smooth and efficient operation. It has made a noticeable difference in my server's responsiveness, especially when dealing with multiple users and simultaneous access to large files. The energy efficiency is also a big plus, helping to keep my power consumption in check. While it may not be the most powerful processor on the market, it strikes a perfect balance between performance and cost for a home server setup. Overall, the Intel Core i3-12100 has exceeded my expectations and has been a reliable workhorse in my TrueNAS build.

Installed this on an Asus board for a homeTruenas server build. Works great!

How many of you just need a fast processor for standard home/office work? Buy this and call it a day. If you need something to handle Microsoft Office, any browser (your internet connection matters more), and basic applications, the 12100 is all you need. Loading time is very good. You really don't need amazing graphics to perform any of these tasks. I'm using integrated video and it suits me just fine. My other computer uses the APU on an AMD 5600G and I've never had issues. I paired this CPU with a barebones Gigabyte motherboard (cheapest I could find) and 8GB of DDR4 memory and it rivals my AMD setup for plain tasks. Don't feel like you need an i5, i7, or even the i3 12400 if you just need an everyday computer for watching videos, doing online banking, or crunching out work material (unless you are editing heavy media). This i3-12100 is the equivalent of a quad core processor from years back. If you are working on virtual machines, doing strong programming, have a million windows open, need to use Adobe Creative Suite to quickly produce and export content, then you may want to consider moving up to a stronger processor. Even so, this one is still pretty good - it will just take longer to complete some things. I'm overall very happy with this processor and I think most households who have similar requirements will be satisfied. The 12400 did get to $160 at some point so that could be something to look at to future proof a machine since it has six cores (not that I need them right now).

Great product, It's really worth the price.

Great processor for office, home, school if you're not gaming or doing production work. for that I give it 5 stars. However, there's guys on YouTube saying this is good for gaming but It's marginal at best. This is basically a traditional I7 like 2nd gen to 7th gen with 4 cores and hyper threading. The core frequency is holding this back, as the all core is only 4.1ghz. Intel doesn't advertise the all core so you subtract 200mhz from the turbo. So you have the 12100, 13100, and 14100. The later having enough frequency for gaming. It turbos to 4.7ghz and the all core should be 4.5. Also don't buy the 12400 because the frequency is only 100mhz faster. The 13400 is a cut down 12600k and costs more. I say get the 12600k. You have all the cores and frequency out of the box, even if you put it on a B660 or B760 motherboard. In fact I want to buy one on black Friday if the price is right. I remember the price last year so hopefully it will be the same or lower.

At 4 cores and 8 threads, this processor is equivalent to the top tier i7 processors of just a few years ago. Mine is paired with 16 GB of RAM and an RX 6600, and it handles everything I do (1080 gaming) very comfortably. The heat sink that is included is very minimalist, but it does the job. Idle temperature is about 40C and the processor peaks at about 65C under load. That being said, the fan is very audible at max speed (3,000 RPM) to maintain that stable temperature under load. One might be wise to consider a different heat sink on a gaming computer. Almost any air-cooled device would be sufficient. Liquid cooling would be overkill. Otherwise, it will handle everyday home office tasks with little effort.

I'm very impressed with this CPU. If I had the money I would get the I5-12600 Non-K for video work because of the extra cores but the I3-12100 is freaking amazing. This is the most powerful CPU I have ever used. It can do the video editing I need done for now until I get better. It uses hardly any power, stays cool and is capable of much more than I need for now. I had never been able to do video editing before because the computer would lock up regardless of how fast the HDD was or how much RAM I had but the I3-12100 does it. ***UPDATE*** I bought the I5- 12600 non-k. Going back to the I3-12100. I'm running an MSI Mag Mortar in a Fractal XL with Arctic 420 with a push-pull on the front. Fans are set to have some pressure in the case. The I3-12100 would top out at about 83c under extremely heavy loads but doesn't stay there (still a little hot I think with a 420) but I'm not seeing an improvement work-wise with the I5 and it easily goes to 90c+ and stays there. Not sure how others are getting the temps they are getting on the I5 but I'm not getting anything close to them.

This CPU is incredibly fast and is great for browsing the web and YouTube, completing office tasks or schoolwork, and even light to medium gaming. It only has 4 cores but they are so fast that it can compete with other processors like the 5600G. The integrated graphics aren't amazing but they get the job done and have allowed me to run light games like Roblox and Civ VI while I save for a graphics card. The stock cooler is not amazing at cooling but the i3 12100 doesn't take much power so while any new cooler would probably be an improvement, this one has been doing just fine. For anyone building a PC on a budget, I can easily say this is a great CPU. It won't run all the latest games at max settings but since it can be found for so cheap, it makes for a very cost effective processor.