Intel Core i3-10100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i3-10100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, MATLAB, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, SuperPi, PassMark, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Prime95, Blender, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, Furmark, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X 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 2600X

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 2600X 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 2600X

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.8	94.6
Valorant	105.5	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	59.1	60.2
Apex Legends	99.1	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	79.1	80.6
Overwatch	85.4	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.8	74.2
DOOM Eternal	52.7	53.8
Warzone	82.3	83.9
Assassin's Creed	88.6	90.3
Valheim	87.5	89.3

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-10100

58%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a finishing choice 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 2600X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	191	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1001	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	448	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1144	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4442	7514

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

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2617	2438
Multi-Core	8889	14033

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

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1147	1127
Multi-Core	4722	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-10100	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
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	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	2600 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 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		YD260XBCM6IAF YD260XBCAFBOX YD260XBCAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 2600X 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 2600X is better: 23
The summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-10100 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i3-10100 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.