Intel has launched their i3-10100 processor, but how does it stack up against AMD’s recently launched Ryzen 3 3100 and 3300X processors at similar price points? Let’s see what the differences are in games and applications and see which is worth it for the money.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| RYZEN 3 3100 | RYZEN 3 3300X | INTEL i3-10100 |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS | PROS |
| Great gaming performance on a budget. Four cores and eight threads for under $100. Peppy content-creation potential for the price. | Great value for the performance. Solid comparative gaming results at 1080p. Gives budget-strapped creators new options. Works on AMD’s established AM4 socket. Decent bundled cooler. | Reasonable pricing. Excellent for gaming. Superior all-core base speed. Superior all-core boost speed. Relatively new. Excellent general gaming performance. |
| CONS | CONS | CONS |
| No on-die graphics. A bit too close in price to the superb Ryzen 3 3300X. | No on-die integrated graphics. | Outdated manufacturing process for thermals. |
SPECIFICATIONS
| RYZEN 3 3100 | RYZEN 3 3300X | INTEL i3-10100 | |
| FREQUENCY | 3.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz | 3.60 GHz |
| TURBO (1 CORE) | 3.90 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 4.30 GHz |
| TURBO (ALL CORES) | 3.90 GHz | 4.30 GHz | 4.10 GHz |
| CORES | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| HYPERTHREADING | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OVERCLOCKABLE | Yes | Yes | No |
| CACHE | 16.00 MB | 16.00 MB | 6.00 MB |
| ARCHITECTURE | Zen 2 | Zen 2 | Comet Lake |
| MEMORY | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-2933 |
| MEMORY CHANNELS | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| MAX. MEMORY | 128 GB | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| ECC | Yes | Yes | No |
| PCIe VERSION | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| PCIe LANES | 20 | 20 | 16 |
| TECHNOLOGY | 7 nm | 7 nm | 14 nm |
| SOCKET | AM4 | AM4 | LGA 1200 |
| TDP | 65W | 65W | 65W |
| AES-NI | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VIRTUALIZATION | AMD-V, SEV | AMD-V, SEV | VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d |
| RELEASE DATE | Q2/2020 | Q2/2020 | Q2/2020 |
PERFORMANCE
All processors were tested in the same system, however I’ve had to change motherboards between Intel and AMD platforms.
For the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and 3300X, I’ve tested with the MSI X570 Gaming Pro and for the Intel i3-10100 I’ve used the MSI MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon motherboard. The rest of the components were otherwise the same, I’ve tested with 32gb of DDR4-3600 memory running in dual channel and with an AMD XFX RX 5700XT to reduce GPU bottlenecks. Although I have tested with stock coolers. You can see the Best CPU Coolers.
Testing was completed with the latest version of Windows and AMD drivers along with all BIOS updates available installed.
APPLICATION BENCHMARKS
CINEBENCH R20
ADOBE PREMIERE PRO
GAMING BENCHMARKS
APEX LEGENDS
BATTLEFIELD V
COD: MODERN WARFARE
CS: GO
DOOM ETERNAL
FORTNITE
PUBG
RAINBOW SIX SIEGE
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2
RESIDENT EVIL 3 REMAKE
STAR WARS JEDI FALLEN ORDER
CONCLUSION
Although I’m trying to compare apples to apples here, fact is if you want faster memory with the i3 like I’ve tested with here, you’re going to have to spend more for a Z490 motherboard too whereas even good value B450 boards will allow you to use faster memory with XMP profiles with the 3300X, so that would further make the i3-10100 worse off in terms of total cost.
In terms of future upgradability, both platforms should have some options. AMD recently confirmed that B450 and X470 boards will have support for Zen3. Even if you don’t go Zen3, with a mid range B450 board it’s still possible to upgrade all the way up to the 16 core 3950X in future.
Intel 10th gen requires new motherboards, and while it’s assumed that these will also support 11th gen, there isn’t currently solid confirmation on this, but if your motherboard is decent you could at least go up to the 10900K in future.
As already mentioned, the i3 cannot be overclocked while the Ryzen options can be, so it’s possible to get some more performance there too. Additionally, Ryzen offers faster PCIe 4.0 support, while Intel 10th gen uses PCIe 3.0.
AMD’s competitive processors are clearly one of the main reasons that Intel has brought back hyperthreading with their 10th generation processors, as it was missing from the 9th gen in all but the top end i9 series.
Based on all of this information, out of the three I’d go for the 3300X if it’s available without being over priced, but let me know which CPU you’d pick and why down in the comments, Intel’s i3-10100 or AMD’s Ryzen 3 3100 or 3300X?
