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Intel Core i3-8100H

Intel Core i3-8100H: A Budget Processor for Basic Tasks in 2025

Overview of Features, Use Cases, and Recommendations

Architecture and Process Technology: Coffee Lake on 14 nm

The Intel Core i3-8100H, released in 2018, remains relevant in budget laptops of 2025 due to its price-performance balance. The processor is built on the Coffee Lake architecture using a 14 nm process.

- 4 cores and 4 threads: The lack of Hyper-Threading limits multitasking, but it is sufficient for simple tasks.

- Frequencies: Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with a maximum of 3.0 GHz (turbo mode is not supported).

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 with a base clock of 350 MHz and dynamic boost up to 1.0 GHz. It supports 4K output but is poorly suited for modern gaming.

Architecture features:

- Optimization for multi-threaded operations within 4 cores.

- Support for DDR4-2666 MHz and up to 64 GB of RAM.

- Built-in PCIe 3.0 controller (16 lanes).

Power Consumption and TDP: 45 W for Balance

The TDP of 45 W indicates that it belongs to mid-power mobile processors. This requires:

- An active cooling system with a fan.

- A substantial laptop chassis (more commonly found in budget "gaming" or multimedia models).

Compared to modern CPUs (e.g., Intel 12th generation on 10 nm):

- Higher power consumption with lower efficiency.

- Heating under prolonged load — up to 90–95°C without quality cooling.

Performance: What Can the i3-8100H Do in 2025?

Testing in real scenarios (using an Acer Nitro 5 with 8 GB of RAM):

- Office Tasks:

- Running Chrome with 10 tabs, Word, Excel — without lags.

- Rendering PDF files or presentations — delays with large data volumes.

- Multimedia:

- Streaming 4K video (YouTube, Netflix) — smooth playback.

- Photo editing in Lightroom — acceptable but slow with filters.

- Gaming:

- CS:GO (Low, 720p) — 50–60 FPS.

- Fortnite (Low, 720p) — 35–45 FPS.

- Modern AAA titles (2024–2025) — not recommended.

Turbo mode: absent, so peak performance is fixed at 3.0 GHz.

Use Cases: Who Is It Suitable For?

1. Students and Office Workers — for studying, document work, Zoom conferences.

2. Budget Gamers — games from 2010–2020 on low settings (e.g., GTA V, Dota 2).

3. Home Users — surfing, streaming, light photo editing.

Not suitable for:

- Professional video editing.

- Heavy gaming and 3D modeling.

Battery Life: How Long Can the Battery Last?

With a TDP of 45 W, the battery life is modest:

- 4–5 hours under moderate load (web browser, office applications).

- 1.5–2 hours during gaming or rendering.

Energy-saving technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep — dynamic frequency management.

- C-States — reduced consumption during idle.

Advice: choose laptops with batteries of at least 50 Wh for minimal comfort.

Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Ryzen 5 3550H (4/8, 12 nm):

- Better in multi-threaded tasks (+30% in Cinebench R23).

- Costs $50–70 more in similar laptops.

2. Intel Core i5-8300H (4/8, Coffee Lake):

- Hyper-Threading and up to 4.0 GHz provide an advantage in gaming (+20% FPS).

3. Apple M1 (2020):

- Significantly higher energy efficiency and performance, but only within the macOS ecosystem.

Pros and Cons of Core i3-8100H

Strengths:

- Low cost of laptops ($400–600 in 2025).

- Sufficient for basic tasks and old games.

- Support for modern interfaces (USB 3.1, HDMI 2.0).

Weaknesses:

- Lack of Hyper-Threading.

- High power consumption for its performance.

- Outdated 14 nm process technology.

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

1. Type of Device:

- Budget Gaming (Acer Nitro 5, HP Pavilion Gaming) — for light gaming.

- Universal Multimedia (Lenovo IdeaPad 3) — for home and study.

2. What to Look For:

- Cooling: at least two fans.

- Display: Full HD IPS for comfortable usage.

- Upgradeability: check for SSD installation and RAM addition options.

Examples of 2025 Models:

- Acer Aspire 7 ($550): Core i3-8100H, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, GeForce MX350.

- HP 15-dk2000 ($480): Core i3-8100H, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, UHD 630.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i3-8100H in 2025 is a choice for those seeking a cheap, no-frills laptop. It handles:

- Office work and web browsing.

- Video viewing and light gaming.

Key Advantages:

- Low price.

- Reliability of proven architecture.

- Compatibility with most operating systems and software.

This processor should be considered only if your budget is strictly limited and your tasks do not demand high performance. For more serious workloads, it's better to pay extra for models with Ryzen 5 or Core i5.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

October 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.

i3-8100H

Code Name

Coffee Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Threads

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

Basic Frequency

3.00 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.

CPU Socket

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

FCBGA1440

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

45 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.

DDR4-2666

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

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 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.

1.00 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@30Hz

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.

6 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 5

Single Core Score

823

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2590

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-6820HQ

859 +4.4%

Xeon Gold 5215L

840 +2.1%

Core i3-8100H

823

Xeon Silver 4215

807 -1.9%

Ryzen Embedded R1505G

788 -4.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-3550

2828 +9.2%

Core i5-3570

2708 +4.6%

Core i3-8100H

2590

Core i5-3570S

2439 -5.8%

Core i7-2860QM

2287 -11.7%