Intel Core i3-6100U vs Intel Core i3-8121U

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i3-6100U or Intel Core i3-6100U – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i3-6100U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-6100U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1356 socket.
The Intel Core i3-8121U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2018 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-8121U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1356 socket.
Intel Core i 6000U Group Intel Core i 8000U
6 Generation 8
Mobile Segment Mobile
Intel Core i3-6100U Name Intel Core i3-8121U
Intel Core i3 Family Intel Core i3
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i3-6100U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-6100U is 2.3 GHz
The Intel Core i3-8121U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-8121U is 2.2 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.2 GHz.
4 Threads 4
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking No
2x Cores 2x
2 CPU Cores 2
None None 3.2 GHz
2.3 GHz Frequency 2.2 GHz
None None 2.7 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i3-6100U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i3-6100U uses the Intel HD Graphics 520, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i3-8121U does not have integrated graphics.
192 Shaders --
Q3/2015 Release date --
14 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
32.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
24 Execution units --
0.3 GHz GPU frequency --
9 Generation --
1.0 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel HD Graphics 520 GPU name
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode VP9 --
Decode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2133, DDR3-1600, LPDDR3-1866 Memory type DDR4-2400, LPDDR4-2400
No ECC No
32.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
34.1 GB/s Bandwidth 38.4 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
7.5 W TDP down None
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
100 °C Tjunction max 105 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i3-6100U is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 3.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i3-8121U is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
Q3/2015 Release date Q2/2018
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512
14 nm Technology 10 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
281 $ Release price --
Skylake U Architecture Cannon Lake U
3.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
BGA 1356 Socket BGA 1356
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
7794
7794
Intel Core i3-6100U
2C 4T @ 2.3 GHz
5313
5313

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
4078
4078
Intel Core i3-6100U
2C 4T @ 2.3 GHz
2436
2436

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
2414
2414
Intel Core i3-6100U
2C 4T @ 2.3 GHz
1643
1643

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
1987
1987
Intel Core i3-6100U
2C 4T @ 2.3 GHz
1360
1360

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
1114
1114
Intel Core i3-6100U
2C 4T @ 2.3 GHz
720
720

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
305
305
Intel Core i3-6100U
2C 4T @ 2.3 GHz
251
251