Home / Intel Core i3 / Intel Core i3-10110U: Performance and Specs

Intel Core i3-10110U

Intel Core i3-10110U in 2025: Is It Worth Buying a Laptop with This Processor?

Analysis of the capabilities and limitations of an outdated chip for budget devices

Architecture and Process Technology: A Legacy of the 14nm Era

The Intel Core i3-10110U processor, released in 2020, belongs to the Comet Lake generation and is still found in budget laptops. Despite the dominance of 5-7nm chips in 2025, this CPU remains on the market due to its low cost.

Key Specifications:

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 4 threads (Hyper-Threading).

- Frequencies: Base - 2.1 GHz, Turbo boost up to 4.1 GHz.

- Cache: 4 MB L3.

- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics for the 10th generation (24 EU, frequency up to 1 GHz).

Architecture Features:

- 14nm Process Technology: An outdated technology that lags behind modern AMD (Zen 4) and Intel (Alder Lake) chips in energy efficiency.

- Dual-core Structure: In an era dominated by 4-8 cores, this is a clear disadvantage for multitasking.

- Integrated Graphics: The UHD video core is suitable only for basic tasks — video viewing, working with office applications, and old games at low settings.

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Battery Life

The processor's TDP is rated at 15W, making it suitable for ultrabooks and thin laptops. However, in reality, under peak loads, consumption can reach 25W, leading to overheating in compact cases.

What does this mean for users?

- In passively cooled devices (e.g., convertible tablets), the chip will throttle.

- In laptops with a quality cooling system (e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad 3), the processor maintains a stable frequency longer, but the fan noise becomes noticeable.

Performance: Modest Results in Real-World Tasks

Geekbench 6 scores 1177 points in single-threaded and 2116 in multi-threaded mode. For comparison, the Ryzen 3 7320U (4 cores, 8 threads) scores around 1400 and 4200 points, respectively.

Testing in Popular Scenarios:

1. Office Work:

- Microsoft Office, Google Workspace — the processor handles tasks without delays.

- Opening 20+ tabs in a browser simultaneously — some stuttering may occur.

2. Multimedia:

- Streaming 4K video — plays stably but with high energy consumption.

- Video editing in DaVinci Resolve — only simple projects (1080p, no effects).

3. Gaming:

- CS:GO — 30-40 FPS on low settings (720p).

- Minecraft — 40-50 FPS (no shaders).

Turbo Boost: The spike to 4.1 GHz lasts no more than 28 seconds, after which the frequency drops to 2.8-3.2 GHz due to overheating.

Use Cases: Who is the i3-10110U Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Work with documents, email, and messengers.

- Watch movies, listen to music, and use social media.

- Play old or undemanding games (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley).

Not Suitable For:

- Gamers (discrete graphics and 4+ cores are needed).

- Designers, programmers, video editors.

- Heavy multitasking fans.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

The average battery life of laptops with the i3-10110U is 6-8 hours with moderate use (50% brightness, Wi-Fi, browser). However, there are nuances:

- Power-saving Technologies: Intel Speed Shift, C-states.

- Tips to Extend Battery Life:

- Disable Turbo Boost in power settings.

- Use the "Battery Saver" mode in Windows.

- Reduce screen resolution to Full HD if the matrix allows.

Example: The Acer Aspire 5 with a 48Wh battery operates for about 7 hours in office mode.

Comparison with Competitors: Who Performs Better in 2025?

1. AMD Ryzen 3 4300U (2020):

- 4 cores, 4 threads, 15W TDP.

- Better at multi-threaded tasks (+30% performance).

- Price of comparable laptops: $450-600.

2. Apple M1 (2020):

- 8 cores, 18-hour battery life.

- More expensive ($800+), but three times more powerful.

3. Intel Core i3-1215U (2022):

- 6 cores (2 P-cores + 4 E-cores), 10nm.

- 50% faster in multitasking.

Conclusion: The i3-10110U lags even behind budget chips from 2022-2023.

Pros and Cons: Should You Buy It?

Pros:

- Low price of laptops ($400-550).

- Sufficient for basic tasks.

- Support for modern interfaces (USB 3.2, Wi-Fi 6 in some models).

Cons:

- Outdated architecture.

- Weak multi-threaded performance.

- Cooling issues in thin cases.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

1. Device Type: Entry-level ultrabooks (e.g., HP Pavilion 14) or budget Chromebooks.

2. What to Look For:

- RAM: At least 8GB (preferably 12GB for "just in case").

- Storage: Only SSDs (256GB and above).

- Screen: Full HD (avoid HD+ in 2025).

3. Avoid: Laptops with HDDs, 4GB RAM, TN screens.

Final Conclusion: Who is the i3-10110U Suitable For?

This processor is an option for:

- Students needing a cheap laptop for note-taking and Netflix.

- Seniors who do not require high performance.

- Users looking to save money and willing to accept limitations.

Key Benefits:

- Affordable price.

- Compatibility with Windows 11 and essential software.

- Portability (most laptops weigh 1.3-1.7 kg).

Alternative: If your budget allows for an additional $100-200, choose laptops with Ryzen 5 5500U or Core i5-1235U — they will last longer and will not disappoint in the future.

In 2025, the Intel Core i3-10110U is a relic of the past. However, if you are looking for a device "for a couple of years" for basic tasks, it can still serve as a temporary solution. But remember: technology doesn’t stand still, and even among budget models, there are better options available.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

August 2019

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i3-10110U

Code Name

Comet Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.10 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.10 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

L3 Cache

4 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1528

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

15 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

1x4 | 2x2 | 1x2+2x1 and 4x1

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2666 | LPDDR3-2133 | LPDDR4-2933

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

64 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

4 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

45.8 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics for 10th Gen Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

300 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.00 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

32 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096 x 2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

4 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1177

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2116

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

918

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1921

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2219

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

3924

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-10100TE

1260 +7.1%

Core i7-4940MX

1216 +3.3%

Core i3-10110U

1177

Athlon Gold PRO 3150GE

1150 -2.3%

Core i3-7100T

1109 -5.8%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E3-1245 v2

2578 +21.8%

Core i3-7101TE

2368 +11.9%

Core i3-10110U

2116

Core i5-7267U

1956 -7.6%

Core i3-4160T

1775 -16.1%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Silver 4316

951 +3.6%

Core i5-10500TE

932 +1.5%

Core i3-10110U

918

Xeon E3-1226 v3

898 -2.2%

Core i5-14600T

882 -3.9%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-3632QM

2200 +14.5%

Xeon D-1518

2052 +6.8%

Core i3-10110U

1921

Xeon X5492

1764 -8.2%

Core i7-6560U

1641 -14.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Gold 6226R

2277 +2.6%

Core i7-7920HQ

2247 +1.3%

Core i3-10110U

2219

Core i5-4690

2195 -1.1%

Xeon E3-1285L v3

2164 -2.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-2760QM

4392 +11.9%

Pentium Gold G6500

4145 +5.6%

Core i3-10110U

3924

Pentium Gold G6405T

3746 -4.5%

Core i7-6660U

3549 -9.6%