Intel Core i3-10100F vs AMD Ryzen 5 7600X vs Intel Core i9-10900K

Intel Core i3-10100F

The Intel Core i3-10100F is an entry level quad-core processor for desktop PCs based on the Comet Lake-S architecture. It offers four cores clocked at 3.6 - 4.3 GHz with HyperThreading / SMT support (8 threads). The CPU is still manufactured on 14nm++ and does not feature an integrated graphics card. Compared to the older Coffee Lake Core i3-9100F, the i3-10100F offers a 100 MHz higher Boost speed, HyperThreading and support for faster DDR4 memory (2666 MHz).

Performance

While we have not tested a single system powered by the 10100F as of August 2023, it's reasonable to expect the chip to be just slightly faster than the Core i5-10200H.

Intel specifies the CPU with a TDP of 65 Watt. For desktops that means that the processor won't need big cooling solutions and can be used in small cases.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a fast mid-range desktop processor of the Raphael series. It offers 6 cores based on the Zen 4 architecture that supports hyperthreading (12 threads). The cores clock from 4.7 (base) up to 5.7 GHz (single core boost). When all 6 cores are fully loaded, 5.3 GHz is the max. clock speed. 

The performance of the R5 7600X is clearly better than the old Ryzen 5 5600X thanks to the improved architecture and modern 5nm process. The single core performance is very good thanks to the high turbo clock speed (-400 MHz compared to the high end CPUs like the Ryzen 9 7950X). The multi-threaded performance is of course not that competitive due to only 6 cores.

The Raphael series still uses a chiplet design with two CCD-clusters (each with 8 possible cores) in 5nm and an IO-die (including the memory controller and the Radeon Graphics iGPU) in 6nm.

The R5 7600X is rated 105 Watt TDP and Raphael is rather power hungry compared to the 5000 series.

Intel Core i9-10900K

The Intel Core i9-10900K is a high-end processor for desktops with ten cores based on the Comet Lake architecture (CML-S, 4th generation of Skylake). The processor clocks at between 3.7 and 5.3 GHz (all 10 cores up to 4.8 GHz) and can execute up to twenty threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. The 5.3 GHz can be only achieved below 70°C core temperature (Thermal Velocity Boost of 100 MHz).

The processor is still manufactured in the old 14nm (14nm++) process. Compared to the predecessor, the Core i9-9900K, the 10900K offers increased clock speeds and two more cores. Thanks to the free multiplicator, the CPU can also be easily overclocked (but may not have much headroom).

The Comet Lake architecture is similar to Coffee Lake and offers the same features and is produced in the same 14nm process. Other than the improved clock rates, the memory controller now also supports faster DDR4-2933 RAM. More information on Comet Lake and all the models and articles on it can be found here.

Performance

Thanks to the high Turbo Boost, the CPU is the fastest gaming CPU available at the time of announcement. Using all cores, the i9 however is slower than the top Ryzen CPUs (like the Ryzen 9 3950X) which offer more cores.

Graphics

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 iGPU is supposed to offer a similar performance as the UHD630 in the Core i7-9900K. As a  low-end solution it will only run current games smoothly at reduced details - if at all.

Power Consumption

Intel specifies the TDP with 125 Watts (PL1) but under full load up to 250 Watt are consumed (PL2). In default mode these 250 Watt and therefore high clock speeds can be maintained for up to 56 seconds, however, all boards offer the option to alter these settings.