The Intel Core i3-12100E is a desktop processor with 4 cores, launched in January 2022, at an MSRP of $125. It is part of the Core i3 lineup, using the Alder Lake-S architecture with Socket 1700. Thanks to Intel Hyper-Threading the core-count is effectively doubled, to 8 threads. Core i3-12100E has 12 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.2 GHz by default, but can boost up to 4.2 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is making the Core i3-12100E on a 10 nm production node, the transistor count is unknown. The multiplier is locked on Core i3-12100E, which limits its overclocking potential.
With a TDP of 60 W, the Core i3-12100E consumes typical power levels for a modern PC. Intel's processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel interface. For communication with other components in the system, Core i3-12100E uses a PCI-Express Gen 5 connection. This processor features the UHD Graphics 730 integrated graphics solution.
Hardware virtualization is available on the Core i3-12100E, which greatly improves virtual machine performance. Additionally, IOMMU virtualization (PCI passthrough) is supported, so that guest virtual machines may directly use host hardware. Programs using Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) can run on this processor, boosting performance for calculation-heavy applications. Besides AVX, Intel is including the newer AVX2 standard, too, but not AVX-512.