Intel Core i3-8100T vs Intel Core i3-8121U

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-8100T vs Intel Core i3-8121U and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, streaming, programming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, PCMark 10, Gears 5, Blender, SuperPi, MATLAB, RealBench, Blender, AIDA64, Handbrake, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, 7zip, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-8121U or Intel Core i3-8100T.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-8100T

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8100T

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

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 little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.3	90.1
Valorant	103.8	102.4
Cyberpunk 2077	58.1	57.3
Apex Legends	97.5	96.2
Call of Duty Warzone	77.8	76.8
Overwatch	84.1	82.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.6	70.6
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.2
Warzone	80.9	79.9
Assassin's Creed	87.2	86.0
Valheim	86.1	85.0

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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 i3-8100T

83%

Core i3-8121U

200%

To make a final resolution 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 i3-8121U is more energy efficient than the Core i3-8100T as it consumes less power: 35W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on 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 software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i3-8100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	132	139
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	530	305
Cinbench 20 Single-core	347	340
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1274	598
Cinbench 23 Single-core	685	563
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2660	2184

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

	Intel Core i3-8100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	1951	1939
Multi-Core	5323	4369

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

	Intel Core i3-8100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	876	901
Multi-Core	3255	2063

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When 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 i3-8100T	Intel Core i3-8121U
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	July 07, 2018
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1151	Unknown
Core name	Coffee Lake	Cannon Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	8
Turbo Frequency		3.2 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	2.2 MHz
Cores	4	2
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	35 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	4 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i3-8100T is 29% better than Core i3-8121U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i3-8100T has 2 more core than Core i3-8121U. 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 i3-8100T is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8121U is better: 5
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-8100T and Intel Core i3-8121U before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-8100T - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-8100T specs and review.

Intel Core i3-8121U - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-8121U specs and review.