Intel Core i3-2100 Review | bit-tech.net
Written by
Antony Leather
July 1, 2011 | 07:52
Tags: #cheap-sandy-bridge-cpu #core-i3 #dual-core #lga1155 #llano #multiplier #overclocking #quad-core #sandy-bridge
Companies: #intel
1 — Intel Core i3-2100 Review2 — Intel Core i3-2100 Test Setup3 — Intel Core i3-2100 Cinebench and WPrime Performance4 — Intel Core i3-2100 Image Editing and Video Encoding Performance5 — Intel Core i3-2100 Multi-tasking and Overall Performance6 — Intel Core i3-2100 Gaming Performance7 — Intel Core i3-2100 Power Consumption8 — Intel Core i3-2100 Performance Analysis and Conclusion
Manufacturer: Intel
UK price (as reviewed):£89.16 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed):$124 (ex tax)
Intel’s LGA1155 Sandy Bridge CPUs are fantastic, but the range has made little impression on the budget end of the market yet. The dual-core Core i3-2100, retailing for £90, is out to set this straight. At first glance, the i3-2100 looks like a CPU lightweight. It doesn’t support Turbo Boost, and to hammer this unpleasant nail home further, lacks the ‘K’ designation that denotes an unlocked multiplier too. This means that the i3-2100 won’t be winning any prizes for being a budget overclocking CPU.
What’s more, now that many games and applications are finally making use of four or more cores, the i3-2100’s dual-core configuration means that its list of selling points is fairly short. Thankfully, it has Hyper-Threading to add two logical cores. Meanwhile, the i3-2100 has a clock frequency of 3.1GHz and, as it’s made using a 32nm production process, Intel states that it has a maximum TDP of just 65W — a third less than the power consumption of the Core i5-2500K quad-core CPU.
Click to enlarge
Unlike the Core i5-2500K, however, the i3-2100 has only 3MB of shared Level 3 cache (the i5-2500K boasts 6MB).
Nevertheless, with 256KB of Level 2 cache per core, it should be able to keep up relatively well in the majority of tasks.
The i3-2100 is also equipped with Intel’s HD Graphics 2000 unit, although you’ll need to use a motherboard equipped with an H67 or Z68, rather than P67, chipset to access it. The Processor Graphics (PG) unit is a small upgrade from the unit included with Intel’s previous-generation Clarkdale CPUs, adding DirectX 10.1 support.
However, the PG manages to take significant loads, such as video encoding, off the CPU, which means that even very basic H67-based systems should be more adept at multi-tasking, especially if your limited budget means that you don’t want to include a discrete graphics card.
Specifications
- Frequency 3.1GHz
- Core Sandy Bridge
- Manufacturing process 32nm
- GPU Intel HD Graphics 2000
- Number of cores 2x physical, 2x logical
- Cache L1: 32KB + 32KB (each core), L2: 256KB (each core), L3: 3MB (shared)
- Packaging LGA1155
- Thermal design power (TDP) 65W
- Features SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.
2, EM64T, EIST, Execute Disable Bit,
Hyper-Threading, VT, AES-NI, AVX, Quick Sync Video
1 — Intel Core i3-2100 Review2 — Intel Core i3-2100 Test Setup3 — Intel Core i3-2100 Cinebench and WPrime Performance4 — Intel Core i3-2100 Image Editing and Video Encoding Performance5 — Intel Core i3-2100 Multi-tasking and Overall Performance6 — Intel Core i3-2100 Gaming Performance7 — Intel Core i3-2100 Power Consumption8 — Intel Core i3-2100 Performance Analysis and Conclusion
Intel Core i3-2100 Full Specifications
The Intel Core i3-2100 is a Desktop processor with 2 cores, launched in 2011. It is part of the Core i3 lineup, using the Sandy Bridge architecture with Socket LGA1155. The core-count is effectively doubled, to 4 threads. Core i3-2100 has 3MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.1 GHz by default, but can boost up to 3.1 GHz, depending on the workload. Intel is building the Core i3-2100 on a 32 nm production process.
Intel’s processor supports DDR3 memory with a dual-channel interface. This processor features the (Intel HD Graphics 2000) integrated graphics solution. This processor can run on motherboards with the following chipsets: B65, B75, C204, C206, H55, H61, H67, H77, P67, Q67, Q77, Z68, Z75, Z77.
Intel Core i3-2100 General
| Foundry | Intel |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Intel |
| Codename | Sandy Bridge |
| Core Family | Sandy Bridge |
| Market | Desktop |
| Model | Core i3-2100 |
| Series | Intel Core i3 |
| Type | Desktop |
| Achitecture codename | Sandy Bridge |
| Microarchitecture | Sandy Bridge |
| Production Status | End-of-life |
| Release date | on February 2011 |
| Released | Feb 2011 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $73 |
| Price now | $61 |
| Place in performance rating | 1042 |
| Value for money (0-100) | 18. 08 |
| Manufacturing process technology | 32 nm |
| Process Size | 32 nm |
Intel Core i3-2100 Compatibility
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt |
|---|---|
| Max number of CPUs in a configuration | 1 |
| Max number of PCIe lanes | 16 |
| PCIe revision | 2.0 |
| Socket | LGA1155 |
Intel Core i3-2100 Benchmarks
| # of Cores | 2 |
|---|---|
| # of Threads | 4 |
| Base Clock | 100 MHz |
| Cache L1 | 64K (per core) |
| Cache L2 | 256K (per core) |
| Cache L3 | 3MB (shared) |
| Core Clock | 3. 1 GHz |
| Core Count | 2 |
| Frequency | 3.1 GHz |
| Hyper-Threading | + |
| L1 Cache | 2 x 32 kB Instruction 2 x 32 kB Data |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 Cache | 2 x 256 kB |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 Cache | 1 x 3 MB |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) |
| Maximum frequency | 3.1 GHz |
| Simultaneous Multithreading | Yes: Hyper-Threading |
| TDP | 65 W |
| Turbo Boost | — |
| Turbo Clock | N/A |
Intel Core i3-2100 Memory Specifications
| ECC Support | No |
|---|---|
| Fast Memory Access | + |
| Flex Memory Access | + |
| Max memory channels | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 21 GB / s |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB |
| Memory Support | DDR3 |
| Supported memory types | DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333 |
Intel Core i3-2100 Technical Specs
| 64 bit support | + |
|---|---|
| Die Size | 131 mm² |
| Die size | 131 mm2 |
| Includes CPU Cooler | Yes |
| Maximum core temperature | 69 °C |
| Multiplier | 31. 0x |
| Multiplier Unlocked | No |
| Number of cores | 2 |
| Number of threads | 4 |
| Package | FC-LGA10 |
| Part # | BX80623I32100 |
| Part# | SR05C |
| SMP # CPUs | 1 |
| Transistor count | 504 million |
| Transistors | 504 million |
| Voltage | unknown |
| tCaseMax | unknown |
Intel Core i3-2100 Integrated Graphics
| Clear Video HD | + |
|---|---|
| FDI | + |
| Generation | Core i3 (Sandy Bridge) |
| Graphics max frequency | 1. 1 GHz |
| InTru 3D | + |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 2000 |
| Integrated graphics | Intel HD 2000 |
| Lithography | 32 nm |
| Number of displays supported | 2 |
| Quick Sync | + |
Intel Core i3-2100 Security Technologies
| Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) | 6.9 Mh/s |
|---|---|
| EDB | + |
| Identity Protection | + |
| TXT | — |
Intel Core i3-2100 Technologies and Extensions
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + |
|---|---|
| Idle States | + |
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.
|