Intel Core i3 Comet Lake i3-10100F BOX

Core i3 becomes Core i5

No matter how we kicked Intel for the last couple of years (and there is something for that), one cannot but admit that the Comet Lake family, despite the outdated technical process, turned out to be a feast for the eyes. Not everywhere, of course, but in the low-cost segment so for sure. An excellent example of this is the relatively new state-of-the-art Core i3 10100, which offers a nimble quad-core multi-threaded and turbo-boosted for its $100-plus. Compare this with the peasant Core i3 two years ago, which did not have all these charms, and the price tags on the strat were almost twice as high.

Unleashes the potential of a fairly powerful graphics card

Given that just a year ago, 4 cores were the norm for junior Core i3 models, now these processors are stepping on the heels of the older Core i5, which, under pressure from Ryzen competitors, had to rapidly increase cores and at the same time become cheaper. Therefore, the main question is what are eight streams with a maximum frequency of 4.3 GHz capable of? Let's just say a lot. In fact, this is the same Core i7-7700 with a slightly reduced cache (6 MB versus 8 MB), which two years ago was called the flagship stone and the optimal processor for games. Even with a simple motherboard based on the H410 chipset and inexpensive dual-channel memory, this low-cost employee will be able to unleash the potential of a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti-level graphics card.

First level? By no means!

Putting modest capabilities and dubious overclocking prospects aside, the Core i3-10100 is perfect for an entry-level and even mid-level gaming computer. Given the very affordable price tag, its closest competitors in the AMD camp will be the Ryzen 3 3100, which actually became the first really inexpensive processor in the AMD Matisse line. A more modern technical process, slightly higher performance, support for PCI-E 4.0 lines and the good old AM4 socket speak in its favor. But at the same time it costs almost a third more and go find it on the market.