Intel Core i3-7100 vs Intel Core i5-10600K

Processor comparisons   05-02-2023
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i3-7100 vs Intel Core i5-10600K tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Blender, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, AIDA64, Prime95, 7zip, PassMark, 3DMark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10600K 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%

Core i5-10600K

54%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-10600K is 5% 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%

Core i5-10600K

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.6	97.0
Valorant	102.9	110.2
Cyberpunk 2077	57.6	61.7
Apex Legends	96.8	103.6
Call of Duty Warzone	77.2	82.7
Overwatch	83.4	89.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.0	76.1
DOOM Eternal	51.5	55.1
Warzone	80.3	86.0
Assassin's Creed	86.5	92.6
Valheim	85.4	91.5

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 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 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%

Core i5-10600K

39%

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 Core i5-10600K as it consumes less power: 51W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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 machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software 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 run, 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	Intel Core i5-10600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	215
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	425	1615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	361	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	904	3629
Cinbench 23 Single-core	552	1376
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2144	10379

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

	Intel Core i3-7100	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	2310	2967
Multi-Core	4287	14674

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

	Intel Core i3-7100	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	1082	1495
Multi-Core	2528	8815

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-7100	Intel Core i5-10600K
Announcement date	March 12, 2017	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1200
Core name	Kaby Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	10
Turbo Frequency		4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.1 MHz
Cores	2	6
Threads	4	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	51 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	3 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-10600K is 4% better than Core i3-7100 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-10600K 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: 3
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10600K is better: 31
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 testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-7100 and Intel Core i5-10600K before making a selection which processor 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.

• Intel Core i5-10600K specs and review.