Intel Core i3-10100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-10100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600 tests and see which is better for games or normal use for streaming, machine learning, video editing, rendering, programming. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like AIDA64, 3DMark, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, Prime95, WPrime, PassMark, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Furmark, PCMark 10, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, VeraCrypt, Blender.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i3-10100.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-10100

52%

Ryzen 5 2600

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 2600 is 3% better than Core i3-10100. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-10100

52%

Ryzen 5 2600

53%

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 play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.8	94.8
Valorant	105.5	107.8
Cyberpunk 2077	59.1	60.4
Apex Legends	99.1	101.3
Call of Duty Warzone	79.1	80.8
Overwatch	85.4	87.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.8	74.4
DOOM Eternal	52.7	53.9
Warzone	82.3	84.1
Assassin's Creed	88.6	90.5
Valheim	87.5	89.5

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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

Core i3-10100

58%

Ryzen 5 2600

56%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-10100 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, 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

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	191	164
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1001	1310
Cinbench 20 Single-core	448	374
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	2736
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1144	1024
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4442	7220

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

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Single-Core	2617	2280
Multi-Core	8889	13255

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

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Single-Core	1147	1104
Multi-Core	4722	6712

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	AM4
Core name	Comet Lake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen+
Generation	10	2
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	3.9 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	4 Ã— 8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	2600 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	6 MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD2600BBM6IAF YD2600BBAFBOX YD2600BBAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-10100 is 5% better than Ryzen 5 2600 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 2600 has 2 more core than Core i3-10100. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-10100 is better: 13
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is better: 23
However, it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-10100 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i3-10100 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600 specs and review.