Intel Core i3-9100F vs Intel Core i7-2600

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i3-9100F vs Intel Core i7-2600 and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, streaming, programming, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as 7zip, MATLAB, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Blender, Blender, 3DMark, Prime95, PassMark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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 i7-2600 or Intel Core i3-9100F.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-9100F

52%

Core i7-2600

51%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i3-9100F is 1% better than Core i7-2600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-9100F

52%

Core i7-2600

51%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.8	91.3
Valorant	104.4	103.7
Cyberpunk 2077	58.4	58.1
Apex Legends	98.1	97.5
Call of Duty Warzone	78.3	77.8
Overwatch	84.5	84.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.0	71.6
DOOM Eternal	52.2	51.9
Warzone	81.4	80.9
Assassin's Creed	87.7	87.1
Valheim	86.6	86.1

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-9100F

57%

Core i7-2600

29%

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 i3-9100F is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate 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 rendering or video editing, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports 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 i3-9100F	Intel Core i7-2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	124
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	660	568
Cinbench 20 Single-core	445	257
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1630	1824
Cinbench 23 Single-core	877	759
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3405	3647

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

	Intel Core i3-9100F	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	2502	1751
Multi-Core	6813	5341

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

	Intel Core i3-9100F	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	1130	844
Multi-Core	3769	3227

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 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 even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-9100F	Intel Core i7-2600
Announcement date	April 01, 2019	October 01, 2010
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	LGA1155
Core name	Coffee Lake	Sandy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	3.8 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	2400 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400	DDR3 1066/1333
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-9100F is 5% better than Core i7-2600 in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i3-9100F is better: 29
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-2600 is better: 5
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i3-9100F and Intel Core i7-2600 before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i3-9100F specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.