Core i3-9100 vs Core i3-9100E

Core i3-9100

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2019

Core i3-9100E

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-9100

4 / 4

6,586

+0.7%

6,539

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.

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 i3-9100

#319

Ryzen Embedded V1202B

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

111%

#320

Core i3-10100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $146

111%

#321

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

MSRP: $311|Avg: $311

111%

#322

Celeron G6900

MSRP: $52|Avg: $77

110%

#323

Core i9-11900K

MSRP: $539|Avg: $435

109%

#324

Core i7-12700TE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $350

107%

#325

Core i9-12900E

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

107%

#326

Celeron G4900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $40

106%

#327

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $452

106%

#328

Core i9-9900KS

MSRP: $513|Avg: $350

105%

#329

Core i5-11600T

MSRP: $262|Avg: $262

105%

#330

Core i9-9900K

MSRP: $488|Avg: $331

104%

#331

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

MSRP: $899|Avg: $540

104%

#332

Celeron G4930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

103%

#333

Core i9-9920X

MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464

102%

#334

Core i3-9100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $125

100%

#335

Core i9-10900X

MSRP: $590|Avg: $425

100%

#336

Core i7-8700T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $196

99%

#337

Ryzen 5 3600XT

MSRP: $249|Avg: $357

99%

#338

Core i9-10980XE

MSRP: $979|Avg: $620

99%

#339

Core i5-8500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $149

98%

#340

Core i9-9900KF

MSRP: $488|Avg: $350

98%

#341

Ryzen Embedded V2748

MSRP: $309|Avg: $359

97%

#342

Core i3-9350K

MSRP: $184|Avg: $150

96%

#343

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

94%

#344

Core i9-9900

MSRP: $423|Avg: $330

93%

#345

Core i9-9980XE

MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593

93%

#346

Core i7-10700K

MSRP: $387|Avg: $380

93%

#347

Celeron G5905T

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

89%

#348

Athlon PRO 200GE

MSRP: $55|Avg: $81

89%

#349

Core i5-9600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $219

89%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-9100E

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

1430%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

1351%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

981%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

296%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

234%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

205%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

117%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

116%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

105%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

105%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

104%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

101%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

100%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

100%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

99%

#16

Core Ultra 5 225F

MSRP: $231|Avg: $150

96%

#17

Core Ultra 7 265K

MSRP: $309|Avg: $285

95%

#18

Ryzen 9 3900

MSRP: $499|Avg: $150

94%

#19

Ryzen 5 3600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $90

92%

#20

Core i7-14700KF

MSRP: $384|Avg: $260

92%

#21

Core i7-14700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $270

89%

#22

Ryzen 5 4500

MSRP: $129|Avg: $85

87%

#23

Ryzen 5 5600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $115

86%

#24

Celeron G5925

MSRP: $62|Avg: $15

86%

#25

Ryzen 5 7500F

MSRP: $179|Avg: $145

85%

#26

Core Ultra 5 245

MSRP: $319|Avg: $220

84%

#27

Ryzen 7 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $86

83%

#28

Core Ultra 7 265KF

MSRP: $379|Avg: $323

83%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-9100 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-9100E in both compute-intensive tasks (0.7% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-9100	Core i3-9100E
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($125)	✅ More affordable ($30)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake (2017−2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake (2017−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: The Core i3-9100E offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $30 (vs $125), it costs 76% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 314% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i3-9100.

Insight	Core i3-9100	Core i3-9100E
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+314%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($125)	✅ More affordable ($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 i3-9100 Benchmark Check

Core i3-9100E Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-9100 and Core i3-9100E

Core i3-9100

The Core i3-9100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 6,586 points. Launch price was $122.

Core i3-9100E

The Core i3-9100E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 6,539 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-9100 and Core i3-9100E share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i3-9100 versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i3-9100E — a 12.7% clock advantage for the Core i3-9100 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). Both are built on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Core i3-9100 scores 6,586 against the Core i3-9100E's 6,539 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i3-9100. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i3-9100	Core i3-9100E
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+14%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+16%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
PassMark	6,586	6,539

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1151 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Core i3-9100	Core i3-9100E
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-9100 launched at $122 MSRP, while the Core i3-9100E debuted at $202. At current prices ($125 vs $30), the Core i3-9100E is $95 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-9100 delivers 52.7 pts/$ vs 218.0 pts/$ for the Core i3-9100E — making the Core i3-9100E the 122.1% better value option.