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Intel Core i3-7100

Intel Core i3-7100: Budget Processor for Basic Tasks in 2025

Architecture, Performance, and Relevance in Modern Conditions

Key Specifications: Kaby Lake in Detail

The Intel Core i3-7100 processor, released in 2017, belongs to the 7th generation of Kaby Lake architecture. Being the last Intel line on a 14nm manufacturing process before transitioning to 10nm, it is considered outdated in 2025, yet still suitable for limited scenarios.

Key Parameters:

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

- Base Clock Speed: 3.9 GHz (without Turbo Boost).

- Cache: 3 MB L3.

- TDP: 51 W.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD 630 (basic support for 4K@60Hz via HDMI 1.4).

Main Features:

- Support for AVX2 and SSE4.2 instructions for accelerating media tasks.

- Optane Memory technology (for HDD acceleration).

- Lack of support for PCIe 3.0 x16 (relevant for entry-level discrete GPUs).

Performance:

According to Geekbench 6 (2025), the i3-7100 demonstrates:

- 1231 points (single-thread test) — a level close to modern budget processors like the Intel Pentium Gold G7400.

- 2407 points (multi-thread) — its weak point due to only 2 cores.

Compatible Motherboards: What to Choose in 2025?

The processor uses the LGA 1151 (v2) socket, compatible only with the 200 series chipsets:

- B250/H270: an optimal choice for basic builds.

- Z270: for enthusiasts, though overclocking with the i3-7100 is not possible.

Examples of Models:

- ASUS Prime B250M-A (price for leftovers — $50–70).

- Gigabyte H270-HD3 (found in the secondary market).

Important:

- Motherboards for Kaby Lake do not support 8th generation processors (Coffee Lake).

- A BIOS update is required for installation on some boards (relevant when purchasing used).

Memory Support: DDR4 and Its Limitations

The i3-7100 works only with DDR4-2133/2400 MHz (officially). The maximum capacity is 64 GB, but real builds rarely use more than 16–32 GB.

Recommendations:

- Use dual-channel mode (2×8 GB instead of 1×16 GB) for a 15–20% performance boost in gaming and rendering.

- DDR5 and higher frequencies are not supported — this is a key limitation for upgrades.

Power Supply: Minimum Requirements

With a TDP of 51 W, the processor is not demanding on the power supply:

- Without a discrete graphics card: a 300–400 W PSU is sufficient (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10 400W, $45).

- With a GPU like NVIDIA GTX 1650: choose a 500 W PSU with 80+ Bronze certification (Corsair CX550M, $65).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU for stability — cheap models may not provide stable voltage.

Pros and Cons of the i3-7100 in 2025

Advantages:

- Low price on the secondary market ($30–50).

- Energy efficiency (suitable for compact PCs).

- Integrated graphics for office tasks and 4K video.

Disadvantages:

- Only 2 cores — multitasking is limited.

- No support for PCIe 4.0, DDR5, USB 3.2 Gen 2.

- Lags behind even budget processors from 2025 (e.g., AMD Ryzen 3 7300U) in multi-threading.

Usage Scenarios: Where is the i3-7100 Relevant?

1. Office PCs: Working with documents, browsing, Zoom.

2. Media Centers: Playing 4K content via HDMI (with HDR limitations).

3. Light Gaming: Dota 2, CS2 on low settings (30–40 FPS in Full HD with a GTX 1050 Ti-level GPU).

4. Home Servers: NAS based on Linux (due to low TDP).

Limitations:

- Video editing in DaVinci Resolve or Blender will be agonizingly slow.

- Modern open-world games (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield) are not recommended.

Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (2017):

- 4 cores/4 threads, but weaker in single-threaded tasks (Geekbench 6 Single Core: ~950).

- Price on the secondary market: $25–40.

2. Intel Core i3-10100 (2020):

- 4 cores/8 threads, Geekbench 6 Multi Core: ~4800.

- 30–50% faster, but costs $80–100 (used).

Conclusion: In 2025, the i3-7100 falls behind even budget newcomers but is cheap for basic tasks.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Motherboard: Look for B250/H270 with warranty or test used ones.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient — noise is minimal.

3. Storage: Always use an SSD (e.g., Kingston A400 240 GB, $25) to speed up the system.

4. Case: Micro-ATX (Fractal Design Core 1100) for compactness.

Caution: Do not buy new components for this processor — it’s an investment in an outdated platform.

Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the i3-7100?

This processor should be considered only in cases where:

- Building the cheapest possible PC for office use or web browsing.

- Upgrading an old computer without replacing the motherboard.

- Creating a media center on a minimal budget.

Alternative: For $100–150, you can buy a used Intel Core i5-9400F or AMD Ryzen 5 2600, which are significantly more powerful.

In 2025, the i3-7100 is a choice for those who value saving money and do not require performance. For everyone else, the market offers much more interesting options.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2017

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.

i3-7100

Code Name

Kaby 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

3.90 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

L3 Cache

3 MB

CPU Socket

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

FCLGA1151

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

51 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.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

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.

DDR4-2133/2400 | DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V

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

8 GT/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.

Yes

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 630

Graphics Base Frequency

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

350 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.

1.10 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 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

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 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 InTru 3D Technology

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

1231

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2407

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

959

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2123

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2315

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

4342

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-9800X

1314 +6.7%

Core i5-4690K

1273 +3.4%

Core i3-7100

1231

Core i5-8250U

1191 -3.2%

Core i7-4770R

1163 -5.5%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i7-10510U

2914 +21.1%

Core i3-6320

2618 +8.8%

Core i3-7100

2407

Core i7-2700K

2157 -10.4%

Core i3-4130

1976 -17.9%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Pentium Gold G6405

1003 +4.6%

Xeon Gold 6258R

976 +1.8%

Core i3-7100

959

Ryzen 5 PRO 1600

937 -2.3%

Core i7-5775R

922 -3.9%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

FX-8120

2446 +15.2%

Pentium Gold G5620

2290 +7.9%

Core i3-7100

2123

Core i5-2320

1982 -6.6%

Opteron 6262 HE

1871 -11.9%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-8706G

2383 +2.9%

Core i7-6900K

2347 +1.4%

Core i3-7100

2315

Xeon Platinum 8268

2287 -1.2%

Xeon E5-2643 v4

2255 -2.6%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-2960XM

4760 +9.6%

Core i3-7300

4530 +4.3%

Core i3-7100

4342

Core i5-2550K

4099 -5.6%

Core i5-2400

3862 -11.1%