Core i3-2100 vs Core i3-4100E

Core i3-2100

2 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2011

Core i3-4100E

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-2100

2 / 4

1,856

+0.4%

1,848

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i3-2100 is positioned at rank 885 and the Core i3-4100E is on rank 1127, so the Core i3-2100 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-2100

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19654%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18571%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13484%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4062%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3218%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2815%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1612%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1591%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1449%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1449%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1432%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1394%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1374%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1369%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1356%

#885

Core i3-2100

MSRP: $117|Avg: $10

100%

#886

A8-3800

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

99%

#887

Pentium E5200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

99%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

99%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

98%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

98%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

98%

#892

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

98%

#893

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

98%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

97%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

97%

#897

Athlon II X2 270u

MSRP: $68|Avg: $10

97%

#898

Core i5-4570TE

MSRP: $202|Avg: $40

96%

#899

Core i3-2130

MSRP: $138|Avg: $138

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-4100E

#1114

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3574%

#1115

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3521%

#1116

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3233%

#1117

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3218%

#1118

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3189%

#1120

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3079%

#1121

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2952%

#1122

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2948%

#1123

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2868%

#1126

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

100%

#1127

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

100%

#1128

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

100%

#1129

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

100%

#1130

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

100%

#1131

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1133

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

99%

#1134

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

95%

#1135

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1136

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

94%

#1137

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

94%

#1138

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1140

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

93%

#1141

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-2100 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-4100E in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-2100	Core i3-4100E
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i3-2100 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 67% cheaper ($10 vs $30) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i3-2100	Core i3-4100E
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+201%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-2100 Benchmark Check

Core i3-4100E Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-2100 and Core i3-4100E

Core i3-2100

The Core i3-2100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,856 points. Launch price was $73.

Core i3-4100E

The Core i3-4100E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB + 3 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,848 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-2100 and Core i3-4100E share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i3-2100 versus 2.4 GHz on the Core i3-4100E — a 25.5% clock advantage for the Core i3-2100 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i3-2100 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-4100E uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-2100 scores 1,856 against the Core i3-4100E's 1,848 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-2100. Both processors carry 3 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i3-2100	Core i3-4100E
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.1 GHz+29%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+29%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,856	1,848
Geekbench 6 Single	—	550

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-2100 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-4100E uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-2100	Core i3-4100E
Socket	LGA1155	BGA1364
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-2100) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-4100E). The Core i3-4100E includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4600), while the Core i3-2100 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4100E targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-4100E rivals Embedded R-Series.

Feature	Core i3-2100	Core i3-4100E
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 4600
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-2100 launched at $117 MSRP, while the Core i3-4100E debuted at $225. At current prices ($10 vs $30), the Core i3-2100 is $20 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-2100 delivers 185.6 pts/$ vs 61.6 pts/$ for the Core i3-4100E — making the Core i3-2100 the 100.3% better value option.