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Intel Core i3-9100T

Intel Core i3-9100T: A Budget Processor for Office and Multimedia in 2025

An Updated Review of an Outdated but Still Useful CPU

Key Features: Coffee Lake in Compact Form

The Intel Core i3-9100T processor, released in 2019, remains in demand in 2025 due to its low power consumption and affordable price. Its Coffee Lake architecture (14 nm) includes 4 cores and 4 threads without Hyper-Threading support. The base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 3.7 GHz. A built-in 6 MB L3 cache and UHD 630 graphics make it a standalone solution for basic tasks.

Key Features:

- TDP 35W: Suitable for compact PCs and systems with passive cooling.

- Integrated UHD 630 Graphics: Supports 4K@60Hz via HDMI/DisplayPort.

- Geekbench 6 Scores: 1207 (Single-Core), 3189 (Multi-Core). In comparison, the modern Ryzen 3 7300U scores around 1500/4500 but is more expensive.

Compatible Motherboards: LGA 1151 v2 Socket and Chipsets

The i3-9100T utilizes the LGA 1151 v2 socket (Coffee Lake), which requires motherboards with 300-series chipsets:

- H310/B365: Budget options (e.g., ASUS Prime H310M-K, ~$60-70).

- H370/Z390: For memory overclocking or expanded functionality (Gigabyte Z390 UD, ~$120).

Important!

- Update the BIOS before installing the CPU if the motherboard was released before 2019.

- Avoid 200-series chipsets (e.g., H270); they are incompatible.

Memory: DDR4-2400 and Dual-Channel Mode

The processor supports DDR4-2400 (officially) with a maximum capacity of 64 GB. For improved performance:

- Use two modules (e.g., 2x8 GB) to activate dual-channel mode.

- Compatibility with XMP profiles depends on the motherboard.

Example Configuration:

- Kingston Fury Beast DDR4-2400 16 GB (2x8 GB) — ~$45.

Power Supply: Cost-Effective Without Risk

With a TDP of 35W, even considering a discrete graphics card like the GTX 1650 (TDP 75W), a 400–450W power supply is sufficient. Recommendations:

- Without discrete graphics: EVGA 450 BR (80+ Bronze, ~$50).

- With GPU: Corsair CX550M (550W, ~$70).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the PSU — system stability is more important.

Pros and Cons of the i3-9100T in 2025

Pros:

- Low power consumption: Ideal for HTPC or office PCs.

- Integrated graphics: No need for a separate graphics card.

- Price: ~$80-100 (new units available on auctions).

Cons:

- 4 threads: Weak in multitasking (e.g., streaming + gaming).

- Outdated manufacturing process: 14 nm compared to 7 nm on modern AMD.

- No PCIe 4.0/5.0: A limitation for next-gen SSDs.

Use Cases: Where the i3-9100T Is Still Relevant

1. Office Tasks: Document work, browsing (10+ tabs), Zoom.

2. Multimedia: 4K video, Netflix streaming, basic editing in Shotcut.

3. Light Gaming: Dota 2 (60 FPS at medium settings), Minecraft.

4. Home Server: NAS based on TrueNAS or Plex media server.

Real Experience: A Reddit user built an HTPC with the i3-9100T in a Silverstone ML05 case (3.7L). The system runs silently and consumes less than 50W.

Competition Comparison: AMD vs. Intel

- AMD Ryzen 3 3200G (4C/4T, Vega 8):

- Pros: Vega 8 graphics outperform UHD 630.

- Cons: TDP 65W, priced at ~$110.

- AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (4C/8T, Vega 11):

- Pros: Hyper-Threading, better in multi-threading.

- Cons: More expensive (~$130), requires a more powerful PSU.

Conclusion: The i3-9100T wins in energy efficiency but loses in performance.

Assembly Tips

1. Case: Choose a compact Mini-ITX (Cooler Master Elite 110) or SFF option.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation — Noctua NH-L9i (~$50).

3. SSD: Samsung 870 EVO 500 GB (~$60) — a balance of speed and reliability.

4. Wi-Fi: PCIe adapter with Wi-Fi 6 support (TP-Link Archer TX50E, ~$45).

Conclusion: Who is the i3-9100T for in 2025?

This processor is a choice for those who:

- Are building a budget PC for office, study, or media center.

- Value low power consumption and silence.

- Do not plan to run AAA games or heavy editors.

Alternative: If the budget allows, consider the Ryzen 5 5500 (6C/12T, ~$120) — it is significantly more powerful but requires a separate graphics card.

The Intel Core i3-9100T in 2025 is an example of a "workhorse" that handles basic tasks without excessive costs. It's worth purchasing only if you find a new unit at a reduced price or are assembling a system from leftover components. For most users, modern processors from AMD or Intel’s 12th generation and beyond will be preferable.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

September 2018

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.

i3-9100T

Code Name

Coffee 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

3.10 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.

3.70 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.70 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.

L3 Cache

6 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

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

82°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.

DDR4-2400

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

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).

37.5 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.

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.

1.10 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.

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

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 6

Single Core Score

1207

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3189

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

960

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2790

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2117

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

5588

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-6900K

1286 +6.5%

Xeon E3-1225 v6

1252 +3.7%

Core i3-9100T

1207

Core i5-6500

1172 -2.9%

Core i3-10100E

1143 -5.3%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-9300H

3656 +14.6%

Xeon E5-2620

3412 +7%

Core i3-9100T

3189

Ryzen 3 PRO 1300

3002 -5.9%

Core i5-1145GRE

2745 -13.9%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon Gold 6246

1003 +4.5%

Ryzen 5 4500U

977 +1.8%

Core i3-9100T

960

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400G

937 -2.4%

Core i7-6800K

922 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 9 3900X

3077 +10.3%

Core i5-7600T

2946 +5.6%

Core i3-9100T

2790

Core i7-8670

2671 -4.3%

Xeon E3-1225

2551 -8.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E3-1285L v3

2164 +2.2%

Core i7-8650U

2141 +1.1%

Core i3-9100T

2117

Core i7-6920HQ

2088 -1.4%

Xeon E5-2687W v4

2058 -2.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-3770S

6175 +10.5%

Core i5-7600T

5874 +5.1%

Core i3-9100T

5588

Xeon E3-1505L v5

5301 -5.1%

Core i5-4570S

5001 -10.5%