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Intel Core i3-2100 processor review

Intel has successfully dealt with the initial problems with the new LGA1155 platforms due to the bug in the SATA3 controller, and now the Sandy Bridge processors are gaining more and more adherents. They are represented in all segments of the computer market, and find a place both in powerful systems designed for games and complex operations, and in cheaper, office options.

The Intel Core i3-2100 processor is the youngest model from the second generation of the Core i3 / i5 / i7 family. Unlike the powerful quad-core i5 / i7 series, it has only two cores, clocked at 3100 MHz. The crystal area is 131 sq. mm, and the number of transistors has been reduced to 504 million, while the older models have 995 million. Power consumption does not exceed 65 W, in addition, there are modifications of processors with the T index, differing in power consumption of 35 W. Sandy Bridge dual-core processors lack the Turbo Boost technology, which raises the operating frequency if necessary, and have half the size of the 3rd level cache, its volume is 3 MB. But thanks to the presence of Hyper-Threading technology, they can process data in four threads. Of course, this does not replace the absence of two cores, but in many applications it has a very positive effect on the computation speed.

It should be noted that there is no point in taking processors of the i3-2xxx series for fans of overclocking. In addition to the lack of Turbo Boost, their multiplier is rigidly fixed. Only a slight increase in the BCLK frequency is possible. However, specifically for overclockers, Intel releases Core i5 / i7 marked with the K index.

Thanks to the built-in GPU, it is quite possible to assemble inexpensive office system units on the junior models of the Sandy Bridge series without an additional video card. The use of low-end processors when using the integrated graphics core further emphasizes the need to use motherboards with Intel H67 logic set, in which there are no overclocking options. It is doubtful that many will be interested in a configuration based on a powerful expensive processor with relatively weak graphics and lack of overclocking potential. These are quite rare solutions assembled for specific tasks, while the majority of consumers use high-performance CPUs paired with powerful video adapters. Obviously, Intel specialists in an effort to demonstrate the differences between the senior and junior series of their creations turned a blind eye to this circumstance. As a result, on the Core i3, the maximum frequency of the video core is reduced to 1100 MHz, while in the i7 this value is 1350 MHz.

Of course, nothing demonstrates the merits and demerits of any product more than comparative tests. The Intel Core i3-2100 will be compared to its competitor from AMD, the Intel Core i5-2500K quad-core.

Details of configurations. Sandy Bridge representatives installed on MSI 990FXA-GD80 motherboard (AMD 990FX, UEFI 11.1). Common to all were:

Silicon Power SP004GBLYU160S2B RAM (2x2GB, PC3-12800, CL9-9-9-24), video card Radeon HD 6970 1GB, Samsung HD502HJ hard drive, Seasonic X-650 power supply.

Intel Core i3-2100 used Hyper-Threading technology and power saving mode. The Intel Core i5-2500K processor core multipliers have been regularly boosted by Turbo Boost.

The operating system was a newly installed 64-bit Windows 7 Enterprise, with the paging file and UAC disabled.

So, the test results.

AIDA64 1.80 examines the bandwidth of the RAM subsystem, its latency, as well as the efficiency of performing arithmetic operations and optimization of calculations in multiple threads.

The memory controller of the dual-core i3-2100 is practically not inferior to the i5 and is significantly ahead of the two competitors.

The fastest way to calculate the millionths of Pi was the Intel Core i5-2500K, which was helped by the Turbo Boost function, which raised the frequency to 3700 MHz. But it is not too far ahead of the younger i3 model.

WPrime Benchmark uses all possible computing resources, and this negatively affects the efficiency of Hyper-Threading.Processors with real four cores are in the lead.

The new version of Futuremark PCMark 7, in addition to the general assessment, allows you to test the system in conditions that create various heavy applications on the user system. There are modes corresponding to video coding, games, office tasks. Evaluate the performance results of our test subjects.

Overall, the i3-2100 came in third, beating only its predecessor, the Intel Core i3-540.

The Entertainment script simulates streaming video processing and encoding, gaming moments, and Internet browsing. Although the overall situation has not undergone dramatic changes, the efficient operation of Hyper-Threading allowed the Intel Core i3-2100 to almost catch up with the AMD Phenom II X4.

The Creativity script includes various operations with images and FullHD videos. AMD Phenom surrendered to the Core i3-2100, which was second only to the undisputed leader, the Core i5-2500K. Perhaps this is due to the problems of multithreaded optimization of the components of this test.

The Productivity scenario measures the performance of office and network applications. The dual-core Sandy Bridge caught up with the Phenom II X4, but the Intel Core i3-540 fell hopelessly behind.

Well, you can go from synthetic tests to real applications. For a start - archivers.

These programs are perfectly "sharpened" for multi-core processors, so there is little use from Hyper-Threading. But WinRAR, as you can see, practically does not use the achievements of the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture; in working with it, the Core i3-2100 fell behind everyone, giving way even to the outsider of this comparison i3-540.

Now let's evaluate the speed in the CINEMA 4D 3D animation and rendering package using Cinebench 11.5.

In single-threaded mode, Turbo Boost is again in the lead, with its dual-core cousin in second place. AMD's legacy processor microarchitecture puts it at the bottom of the list.

Parallel computing mode demonstrates the efficiency of four physical cores.

Whereas in the OpenGL subtest, Intel Core i3-2100 again takes the lead.

The dbpoweramp audio file converter also gets along well with multi-core processors. But the load is not big, so Hyper-Threading is at its best and the i3-2100 is almost on a par with the Phenom. The rearguard is traditionally the i3-540, once again proving the superiority of the new Intel architecture.

The resource-intensive processing of video with the H.264 codec in the x264 HD Benchmark application again takes the owners of more cores to the lead.

Finally, let's get down to such an interesting question as efficiency in gaming applications. But first measurements with Futuremark 3DMark Vantage. To ensure that the video subsystem does not have a significant impact, the Performance profile was selected. The dual-core Intel Core i3-2100 demonstrates excellent results in the overall standings, and slightly worse in the processor overtones.

Well, the scores are directly in the games. The following settings were set: resolution 1680x1050, high quality settings (not to be confused with maximum) and no full-screen anti-aliasing.

Quite good results! The power of Intel Core i3-2100 allows you to enjoy modern games.

Based on the test results, the conclusion is quite obvious. With nearly half the power consumption of an AMD quad-core processor, the Intel Core i3-2100 offers often identical, and sometimes even better, performance. He simply blows his brother from the previous i3 series to smithereens. The only advantage of older models is the overclocking capability, which is not available for the Intel Core i3 Sandy Bridge. If they had overclocking potential, they could well compete with Intel's more expensive quad-core models. Most likely, for these reasons, the multiplier was blocked. However, Intel's motives are beyond the scope of this review. It remains only to say that the Core i3-2100 seems to be an excellent choice for a user without overclocking ambitions and the need for heavy computing, who appreciates the quiet and economical operation of the computer.

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