Intel Core i3-7100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600

Processor comparisons 05-02-2023

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i3-7100 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600 tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, programming, video editing, streaming. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, PCMark 10, 3DMark, Blender, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, Blender, Gears 5, AIDA64, Handbrake, Prime95, PassMark, RealBench, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i3-7100.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-7100

51%

Ryzen 5 3600

55%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3600 is 7% better than Core i3-7100. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-7100

51%

Ryzen 5 3600

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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. 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 CPU comparisons were performed: Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.6	94.7
Valorant	102.9	107.6
Cyberpunk 2077	57.6	60.3
Apex Legends	96.8	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	77.2	80.7
Overwatch	83.4	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.0	74.3
DOOM Eternal	51.5	53.8
Warzone	80.3	83.9
Assassin's Creed	86.5	90.4
Valheim	85.4	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: 2K, 4K 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

Core i3-7100

70%

Ryzen 5 3600

63%

To make a finishing resolution 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 Core i3-7100 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3600 since it has less power consumption: 51W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn 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. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

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

	Intel Core i3-7100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	425	1578
Cinbench 20 Single-core	361	472
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	904	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	552	1253
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2144	9412

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

	Intel Core i3-7100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	2310	2611
Multi-Core	4287	17872

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

	Intel Core i3-7100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	1082	1238
Multi-Core	2528	6578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. 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 the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-7100	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Announcement date	March 12, 2017	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	AM4
Core name	Kaby Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	7	3
Turbo Frequency		4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	2	6
Threads	4	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	51 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4
Max. Memory	64 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	3 MB	32MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options	100-000000031 100-100000031BOX 100-100000031MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-7100 is 7% better than Ryzen 5 3600 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 3600 has 4 more core than Core i3-7100. 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 i3-7100 is better: 7
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is better: 30
Although it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i3-7100 and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-7100 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-7100 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 specs and review.