FX-8100 vs Core i5-2500K

FX-8100

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2011

Core i5-2500K

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

FX-8100

8 / 8

4,095

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-2500K

4 / 4

4,141

+1.1%

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 FX-8100 is positioned at rank 928 and the Core i5-2500K is on rank 828, so the Core i5-2500K 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 FX-8100

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

22836%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

21578%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

15667%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4720%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3739%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3271%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1873%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1849%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1683%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1683%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1664%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1619%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1597%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1590%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1576%

#302

Core i7-6900K

MSRP: $1089|Avg: $1089

99%

#303

Core i7-5960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $83

98%

#928

FX-8100

MSRP: $300|Avg: $50

100%

#930

Celeron E1400

MSRP: $53|Avg: $63

99%

#932

Pentium E6800

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

98%

#933

Core i3-530

MSRP: $113|Avg: $15

98%

#935

Athlon II X3 405e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

98%

#936

Core i3-2105

MSRP: $138|Avg: $30

98%

#937

Core i3-3225

MSRP: $172|Avg: $167

97%

#938

Athlon II X3 400e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

97%

#939

Athlon II X2 245e

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

96%

#940

Core i3-3220T

MSRP: $149|Avg: $146

96%

#941

Athlon II X2 240e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $77

96%

#942

Pentium G630T

MSRP: $79|Avg: $15

96%

#943

Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition

MSRP: $990|Avg: $175

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2500K

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

16941%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16008%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11623%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3501%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2774%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2426%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1390%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1372%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1249%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1249%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1235%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1201%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1185%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1180%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1169%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

99%

#828

Core i5-2500K

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

100%

#829

Pentium G3430

MSRP: $116|Avg: $30

100%

#830

Pentium E5400

MSRP: $55|Avg: $49

100%

#831

Core i5-4570R

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

100%

#832

A6-3650

MSRP: $115|Avg: $20

99%

#833

Core i7-4770R

MSRP: $360|Avg: $89

99%

#835

Core i7-2600

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

99%

#836

Pentium G870

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

99%

#837

Athlon II X2 210e

MSRP: $60|Avg: $28

99%

#838

Pentium G645

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

99%

#840

Pentium G630

MSRP: $75|Avg: $46

98%

#841

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

98%

#842

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

98%

#843

Core i7-4785T

MSRP: $306|Avg: $32

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-2500K delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the FX-8100 in both compute-intensive tasks (1.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	FX-8100	Core i5-2500K
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($35)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Zambezi (2011−2012) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i5-2500K stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 30% cheaper ($35 vs $50) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	FX-8100	Core i5-2500K
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+44%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($35)

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.

FX-8100 Benchmark Check

Core i5-2500K Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FX-8100 and Core i5-2500K

FX-8100

The FX-8100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,095 points. Launch price was $69.

Core i5-2500K

The Core i5-2500K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,141 points. Launch price was $216.

⚡

Processing Power

The FX-8100 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-2500K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the FX-8100 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the FX-8100 versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-2500K — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The FX-8100 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-2500K uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the FX-8100 scores 4,095 against the Core i5-2500K's 4,141 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i5-2500K. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 455 vs 684, a 40.2% lead for the Core i5-2500K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,621 vs 2,032 (22.5% advantage for the Core i5-2500K). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-8100 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-2500K.

Feature	FX-8100	Core i5-2500K
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.3 GHz+18%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+33%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	8 MB+3100%	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Zambezi (2011−2012)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	4,095	4,141+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,200
Geekbench 6 Single	455	684+50%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,621	2,032+25%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The FX-8100 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-2500K uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1866 memory speed. The Core i5-2500K supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (FX-8100) vs 16 (Core i5-2500K) — the Core i5-2500K offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 990FX,AMD 970 (FX-8100) and P67,Z68,Z77 (Core i5-2500K).

Feature	FX-8100	Core i5-2500K
Socket	AM3+	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1866	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	32 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (FX-8100) vs VT-x (Core i5-2500K). The Core i5-2500K includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the FX-8100 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2500K targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-2500K rivals FX-6300.

Feature	FX-8100	Core i5-2500K
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The FX-8100 launched at $300 MSRP, while the Core i5-2500K debuted at $225. At current prices ($50 vs $35), the Core i5-2500K is $15 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the FX-8100 delivers 81.9 pts/$ vs 118.3 pts/$ for the Core i5-2500K — making the Core i5-2500K the 36.4% better value option.