Intel Core i3-10100 vs Intel Core i5-11400F

The Intel Core i3-10100 is a four-core desktop processor based on the Comet Lake S architecture. The processor clocks at 3.6 - 4.3 GHz and can process up to 8 threads simultaneously. The Intel Core i3-10100 is manufactured in the improved 14nm process (14nm++). Compared to the older i3-9100 (Comet Lake-S), the 10100 offers a 100 MHz higher turbo clock, multithreading and support for faster DDR4-2666 memory.

Performance

The performance should be only slightly above the Core i3-9100 in the entry level for desktop CPUs. Thus the performance is sufficient for office and undemanding gaming.

Graphics Card

The Intel Core i3-10100 is a processor with a rather slow entry level integrated graphics unit (Intel UHD Graphics 630). 

Power consumption

Intel puts the Thermal Design Power (TDP) at 65 watts. This means there is no need for large cooling systems, which also allows installation in very compact housings.

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a fast six-core desktop processor based on the new Rocket Lake architecture, which was introduced in March 2021. The processor clocks with a base clock of 2.6 GHz and reaches an all-core boost of 4.2 GHz under load. In single-thread applications, the Intel Core i5-11400F even reaches up to 4.4 GHz. Intel also gives the Rocket Lake processors the Hyperthreading feature, which allows the i5-11400F to process up to 12 threads simultaneously. As known, the Intel Core i5-11400F is manufactured in the 14 nm process. Nevertheless, many changes have been made with the Rocket Lake architecture, which is also reflected in the performance compared to the Comet Lake. The Intel Core i5-11400F is a non-K CPU, which means that there is no freely selectable multiplier. Thus, the scope for overclocking is relatively small.

Performance

Compared to the Intel Core i5-10400F, the Core i5-11400F offers a significantly better IPC. This can be seen clearly in the single-core benchmarks. But the multi-core performance also benefits from the better IPC compared to Comet-Lake. A performance increase of up to 20 percent can be expected. The Core i5 has to do without the TVB (Thermal Velocity Boost). However, 4.2 GHz is still possible when all cores are loaded. Due to the very high single-thread performance, the Intel Core i5-11400F is best suited for video games.

Graphics

The processors marked with "F" in the nomenclature don't offer an integrated graphics unit. All other non-F processors can fall back on the Intel UHD Graphics 750 and also allow operation without a dedicated graphics card.

Power consumption

The TDP turns out relatively low with 65 watts. This is the PL1 value. For Turbo, the Intel Core i5-11400F offers a higher TDP of up to 154 watts with PL2. However, this may only be applied for a maximum of 28 seconds (dew). A good air cooler should be able to handle the resulting waste heat, so no AiO is necessary for this processor.