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Intel Core i3-6100U

Intel Core i3-6100U in 2025: Is it Worth Getting a Budget Processor for Basic Tasks?

Introduction

Nearly a decade after its release, the Intel Core i3-6100U continues to appear in budget laptops. Despite its outdated architecture, it remains a popular choice for office work and everyday tasks. Let's analyze who this chip is suitable for in 2025, its strengths, and what to consider when purchasing.

Architecture and Technology Process: What's Inside?

Skylake at 14 nm

The Core i3-6100U is built on the Skylake microarchitecture (6th generation Intel) using a 14 nm process technology. It is a dual-core processor with Hyper-Threading support, providing 4 virtual threads. The base frequency is 2.3 GHz, and there is no turbo mode, which is typical for the U-series with a TDP of 15 watts.

Integrated Graphics

The integrated GPU is the Intel HD Graphics 520 with 24 execution units (EUs) and a frequency of up to 1000 MHz. The graphics support:

- 4K video playback via HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort;

- Quick Sync technology for accelerated encoding/decoding;

- DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.4.

For gaming in 2025, this is insufficient, but it will suffice for streaming video or older titles.

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Power and Battery Life

The processor's TDP is 15 watts, making it ideal for ultrabooks and compact laptops. Cooling systems in such devices are passive or use low-power fans, which reduces noise.

Energy-efficient Technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep — dynamic frequency adjustment based on load;

- C-States — transitioning to low power modes during idle;

- Enhanced Intel SpeedShift — faster transitions between P-states.

These features allow laptops to last up to 8 hours when web surfing.

Performance: What Can the Core i3-6100U Do in 2025?

Office Tasks and Multimedia

- Microsoft Office, Google Docs: Handles documents, spreadsheets, and presentations without issues;

- Web Browsing: Comfortable with 10-15 tabs in Chrome and 1080p YouTube, but 4K videos may stutter;

- Zoom/Teams: HD video calls are doable, but background blur or AI filters increase load.

Gaming

- CS:GO, Dota 2: 30-40 FPS on low settings (720p);

- Indie Projects (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley): Stable 60 FPS;

- Modern AAA Games: Not recommended even on minimum settings.

Turbo Mode and Multithreading

The absence of Turbo Boost limits performance in resource-intensive tasks. In the Cinebench R23 test, results are:

- Single-core: ~600 points;

- Multi-core: ~1200 points.

For comparison, the modern budget Intel N100 (2023) scores about ~750/2200 points.

Use Cases: Who Is the Processor Suitable For?

1. Students — document work, online courses, Netflix.

2. Office Workers — email, cloud services, ERP systems.

3. Older Users — simplicity, reliability, long battery life.

Not Suitable For:

- Gamers;

- Video editors;

- Engineers using CAD.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

In modern laptops with the Core i3-6100U (e.g., Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15IAU7), battery life varies:

- Web surfing: 6-7 hours (250 nits display, Wi-Fi);

- Video: up to 8 hours (1080p, 50% brightness);

- Maximum load: 2-3 hours.

Tip: Choose models with a battery capacity of at least 40 Wh and an energy-efficient IPS display.

Comparison with Competitors: What to Buy in 2025?

Alternatives in the Same Segment:

- AMD Ryzen 3 3250U (2019): +15% to multithreading, but higher prices for used devices ($250-$300);

- Apple M1 (2020): 3-4 times faster, but new MacBook Air starts at $799;

- Intel Core i5-1135G7 (2020): Twice the performance, but laptops with it start from $500.

Conclusion: The Core i3-6100U is justified only for budgets up to $300. In other cases, it's better to opt for newer models.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low cost of laptops ($300-$400);

- Energy efficiency;

- Sufficient for basic tasks.

Weaknesses:

- No headroom for future software updates;

- Weak graphics;

- Only 2 physical cores.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

Criteria:

1. Device Type: ultrabook or budget laptop (e.g., Acer Aspire 5 or HP 15s).

2. Screen: Full HD IPS (1366x768 is outdated even for office use).

3. RAM: at least 8 GB (DDR4-2133).

4. Storage: SSD 256 GB (SATA or NVMe).

5. Ports: USB-C, HDMI, card reader for convenience.

Example Models for 2025:

- ASUS VivoBook 15 X1502ZA — $349, 8/256 GB, 15.6" FHD display;

- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 — $379, 12/512 GB, weighs 1.6 kg.

Final Verdict: Who Is the Core i3-6100U Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Are looking for a cheap laptop for study or text work;

- Value long battery life;

- Do not plan to run demanding applications.

Key Benefits: low price, proven reliability, quiet operation. However, keep in mind that even in 2025, the Core i3-6100U is the minimum standard for comfortable use. If your budget allows, consider options with 10th generation Intel processors or AMD Ryzen 5000.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

July 2015

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.

i3-6100U

Code Name

SkyLake

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

2.30 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.

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

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1356

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.

DDR4-2133 | LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

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

32 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).

34.1 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® HD Graphics 520

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.

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.

4096x2304@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.

4096x2304@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.

4096x2304@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.

3 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 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 InTru 3D Technology

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

747

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1531

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

538

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1195

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1333

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2639

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-5500U

875 +17.1%

Core i5-6442EQ

815 +9.1%

Core i3-6100U

747

Pentium G4400

693 -7.2%

Core i7-3740QM

648 -13.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-3570S

1857 +21.3%

Core i5-3340S

1703 +11.2%

Core i3-6100U

1531

PRO A12-8870E

1392 -9.1%

Core i3-5005U

1227 -19.9%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Celeron 5305U

576 +7.1%

Core i7-5550U

558 +3.7%

Core i3-6100U

538

Pentium G2100T

522 -3%

Pentium G2030

507 -5.8%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-7130U

1360 +13.8%

Xeon L5609

1276 +6.8%

Core i3-6100U

1195

Core i5-2410M

1102 -7.8%

Pentium 4405U

1049 -12.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-2540M

1406 +5.5%

Core i5-4210U

1380 +3.5%

Core i3-6100U

1333

Core i7-2715QE

1287 -3.5%

Core i3-5020U

1229 -7.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Ryzen Embedded R1305G

2980 +12.9%

Celeron G5925

2830 +7.2%

Core i3-6100U

2639

Pentium G3470

2428 -8%

Athlon X4 730

2278 -13.7%