i3-6100E vs i7-3540M

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1987	1893
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	no data	0.24
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i7	Intel Core i3
Power efficiency	5.08	5.65
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Skylake (2015−2016)
Release date	8 January 2013 (11 years ago)	12 October 2015 (9 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$349	$225

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E 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)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	3 GHz	no data
Boost clock speed	3.7 GHz	2.7 GHz
Bus type	no data	DMI 3.0
Bus rate	5 GT/s	4 × 8 GT/s
Multiplier	no data	27
L1 cache	64K (per core)	128 KB
L2 cache	256K (per core)	512 KB
L3 cache	4 MB (shared)	3 MB
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Die size	118 mm2	98.57 mm2
Maximum core temperature	105 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	1750 Million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E 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	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCBGA1023,FCPGA988	no data
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	35 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	no data
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	no data
EDB	+	no data
Secure Key	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	-
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	LPDDR3-1866
Maximum memory size	32 GB	64 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	34.134 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel HD Graphics 4000	Intel HD Graphics 530
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.3 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E integrated GPUs.

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

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E.

PCIe version	3.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	16	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

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

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	1.88	2.09
Integrated graphics card	1.18	2.60
Recency	8 January 2013	12 October 2015
Chip lithography	22 nm	14 nm

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3540M and Core i3-6100E, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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