A8-3870K vs i3-6100U

Place in the ranking	2062	2157
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i3	no data
Power efficiency	10.46	1.39
Architecture codename	Skylake (2015−2016)	Llano (2011−2012)
Release date	1 September 2015 (9 years ago)	20 December 2011 (12 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$281	no data

Detailed specifications

Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	2 (Dual-core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	2.3 GHz	3 GHz
Boost clock speed	2.3 GHz	3 GHz
Bus type	OPI	no data
Bus rate	4 GT/s	no data
Multiplier	23	no data
L1 cache	128 KB	128 KB (per core)
L2 cache	512 KB	1 MB (per core)
L3 cache	3 MB	0 KB
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Die size	98.57 mm²	228 mm²
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1750 Million	1,178 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1 (Uniprocessor)	1
Socket	FCBGA1356	FM1
Power consumption (TDP)	15 Watt	100 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	no data
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	-	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
Smart Response	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	no data
EDB	+	no data
Secure Key	+	no data
MPX	+	-
Identity Protection	+	-
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	+
VT-d	+	no data
VT-x	+	no data
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3, DDR4	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	34.134 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 520	AMD Radeon HD 6550D
Max video memory	32 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video	+	no data
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	no data
eDP	+	no data
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
DVI	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	+	no data
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096x2304@24Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	4096x2304@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	4096x2304@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	no data
OpenGL	4.5	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K.

PCIe version	3.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	12	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i3-6100U 1.72
+13.2%

A8-3870K 1.52

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i3-6100U 2635
+13.2%

A8-3870K 2328

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary

Performance score	1.72	1.52
Integrated graphics card	2.15	1.04
Recency	1 September 2015	20 December 2011
Physical cores	2	4
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	15 Watt	100 Watt

i3-6100U has a 13.2% higher aggregate performance score, 106.7% faster integrated GPU, an age advantage of 3 years, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 566.7% lower power consumption.

A8-3870K, on the other hand, has 100% more physical cores.

The Core i3-6100U is our recommended choice as it beats the A8-3870K in performance tests.

Be aware that Core i3-6100U is a notebook processor while A8-3870K is a desktop one.

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-6100U and A8-3870K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.