AMD Ryzen 3 3100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 3 3100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and understand which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like RealBench, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, 3DMark, AIDA64, Blender, PCMark 10, 7zip, MATLAB, Gears 5, SuperPi, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Apex Legends
Grand Theft Auto V
Rainbow Six Siege
Halo Infinite
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Valheim
Watch Dogs Legion
Cyberpunk 2077
Valorant
Fortnite
Overwatch
Death Stranding
DOOM: Eternal
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Red Dead Redemption 2
Borderlands 3
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Last Man Standing

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or AMD Ryzen 3 3100.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 3 3100

53%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3600X is 3% better than Ryzen 3 3100. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 3 3100

53%

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.7	96.0
Valorant	106.5	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	59.6	61.1
Apex Legends	100.1	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	79.8	81.9
Overwatch	86.2	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.5	75.3
DOOM Eternal	53.2	54.6
Warzone	83.0	85.1
Assassin's Creed	89.4	91.7
Valheim	88.4	90.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 3 3100

64%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 3 3100 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3600X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 3 3100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	179	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1019	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	437	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2351	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1105	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5423	9588

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 3 3100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	2464	2651
Multi-Core	11783	18377

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 3 3100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1266	1341
Multi-Core	5567	7891

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 3 3100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	May 27, 2020	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 2
Generation	3	3
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	3800 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	256KB	384KB
L2 cache	2MB	3MB
L3 cache	16MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000284 100-100000284BOX 100-100000284MPK	100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 5% better than Ryzen 3 3100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 3600X has 2 more core than Ryzen 3 3100. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 29
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before making a decision which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 3 3100 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.