CPU Comparison

The AMD PRO A10-8770E and Intel Core i3-6100 sit at the same 24th percentile among all CPUs, with average benchmark scores of 895 and 888 respectively, yet their performance profiles could hardly be more different. The AMD part sweeps the Cinebench suite with consistent 15% margins, while the Intel chip dominates Geekbench by even larger double-digit gaps. This split suggests two fundamentally different interpretations of what a desktop processor should prioritize, and the data rewards a closer look at where each design's strengths actually lie.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD PRO A10-8770E is the clear winner in rendering-style workloads, taking all five Cinebench tests in the head-to-head comparison. Its victories range from 15.0% in Cinebench R23 multicore to 15.3% in Cinebench R20 single-core, showing a remarkably uniform advantage across both multi-threaded and single-threaded rendering tasks. For users running Cinebench-derived workloads, the AMD part delivers a consistent edge that scales from generation to generation of the benchmark. The data shows this is not a case of one lucky test; it is a pattern across five separate measurements.

The Intel Core i3-6100, conversely, owns the Geekbench tests with decisive margins. It beats the AMD chip by 19.6% in Geekbench multicore and by 27.1% in Geekbench single-core. This is a much larger relative advantage than anything the AMD chip manages in Cinebench, suggesting that the Intel part has a significant edge in the broader set of real-world applications that Geekbench models. The 27.1% single-core gap is particularly telling, as it indicates the Intel architecture is far more efficient at handling the types of short, latency-sensitive tasks that dominate general desktop use.

The win distribution is lopsided in terms of test count, five wins for AMD, two for Intel, but the magnitude of Intel's victories outweighs the frequency of AMD's. The AMD part wins by roughly 15% in every Cinebench test, while Intel wins by nearly 20% and 27% in Geekbench. A user who cares about rendering performance would prefer the AMD chip, while anyone running a mix of productivity and everyday applications would likely see better results from the Intel part.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from opposite ends of the design spectrum. The AMD PRO A10-8770E uses the Excavator architecture on a 28 nm process from GlobalFoundries, packing 3,100 million transistors onto a 250 mm² die. It has four physical cores with four threads, a 2.80 GHz base clock, and a 3.50 GHz boost clock. Its cache configuration includes 320 KB of L1 and 2 MB of L2, with no L3 cache at all. The integrated graphics are Radeon R7, and the chip supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s.

The Intel Core i3-6100 is built on the Skylake architecture using a 14 nm process from Intel, with 1,400 million transistors on a 150 mm² die. It has two physical cores but four threads thanks to Hyper-Threading, running at a fixed 3.70 GHz with no boost clock. The cache layout is per-core: 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus a shared 4 MB L3 cache. Its integrated graphics are Intel HD 530, and it supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

The architectural differences explain the benchmark results. AMD's four physical cores give it an advantage in Cinebench's multi-threaded rendering, where raw core count matters more than per-core efficiency. Intel's two cores with Hyper-Threading, running at a much higher 3.70 GHz base clock, excel in Geekbench, which rewards single-thread performance and memory latency. The Intel chip's larger 4 MB L3 cache likely contributes to its single-core dominance, as does the more modern 14 nm process. The AMD chip's higher memory bandwidth (38.4 GB/s vs 34.1 GB/s) does not translate into a performance win, suggesting that bandwidth is not the limiting factor in these workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R15 multicore test shows the AMD PRO A10-8770E scoring 258 against the Intel Core i3-6100's 224, a 15.2% advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multicore, where AMD scores 1075 versus Intel's 934, a 15.1% margin. The single-core tests tell the same story: AMD leads 151 to 131 in Cinebench R20 single-core (15.3%) and 361 to 314 in Cinebench R23 single-core (15.0%). The AMD chip even wins Cinebench R23 multicore with 2560 points against Intel's 2226, a 15% gap.

The Geekbench results flip the narrative completely. In Geekbench multicore, the Intel Core i3-6100 scores 1605 against AMD's 1291, a 19.6% difference. The single-core Geekbench test is even more lopsided: Intel scores 785 versus AMD's 572, a 27.1% margin. These are the largest deltas in the entire comparison, far exceeding AMD's Cinebench margins. The data suggests that Geekbench's workload mix, which includes encryption, compression, and floating-point operations, favors Intel's higher clock speed and more efficient Skylake cores.

What is striking is the consistency within each benchmark family. AMD wins every Cinebench test by almost exactly 15%, regardless of whether the test is single-core or multi-core. Intel wins every Geekbench test by a wider margin that varies from 19.6% to 27.1%. This consistency indicates that the performance difference is architectural rather than workload-specific within each benchmark suite. The AMD chip's four cores should theoretically help in multi-threaded tests, yet its single-core Cinebench results are equally strong relative to Intel, suggesting that its Excavator cores are simply better optimized for Cinebench's rendering algorithms.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specification fields. The AMD PRO A10-8770E has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the Intel Core i3-6100 has 2 cores and 4 threads. Base clocks are 2.80 GHz for AMD and 3.70 GHz for Intel, with the AMD chip offering a 3.50 GHz boost clock and the Intel chip having no boost capability. Thermal design power is 35 watts for AMD and 51 watts for Intel, making the AMD part significantly more power-efficient on paper.

The sockets are incompatible: AMD uses Socket AM4, while Intel uses Socket 1151. The AMD chip is built on a 28 nm process with 3,100 million transistors and a 250 mm² die, whereas Intel uses a 14 nm process with 1,400 million transistors and a 150 mm² die. Cache configurations differ substantially: AMD has 320 KB L1 and 2 MB L2 with no L3, while Intel has 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 4 MB shared L3. Memory bandwidth is 38.4 GB/s for AMD and 34.1 GB/s for Intel, though both support dual-channel DDR4. The integrated graphics are Radeon R7 on the AMD side and Intel HD 530 on the Intel side, and both lack ECC memory support. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, and both are listed as Active production parts.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E has 4 physical cores with 4 threads, while the Intel Core i3-6100 has 2 physical cores but also 4 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

Q: Why does the AMD chip win all Cinebench tests?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E scores 15.0% to 15.3% higher than the Intel Core i3-6100 across all five Cinebench tests, from R15 multicore to R23 single-core, indicating its Excavator architecture is better suited to rendering workloads.

Q: What explains the Intel chip's Geekbench advantage?

A: The Intel Core i3-6100 beats the AMD PRO A10-8770E by 19.6% in Geekbench multicore and 27.1% in Geekbench single-core, likely due to its higher 3.70 GHz base clock and 4 MB shared L3 cache.

Q: How do their TDP ratings compare?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E has a 35-watt TDP, while the Intel Core i3-6100 has a 51-watt TDP, meaning the AMD chip is rated for lower power consumption.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory type?

A: Both support DDR4 memory with dual-channel buses, but the AMD chip has a higher memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s compared to Intel's 34.1 GB/s.

Q: Which processor has a larger die size?

A: The AMD PRO A10-8770E has a 250 mm² die with 3,100 million transistors, while the Intel Core i3-6100 has a 150 mm² die with 1,400 million transistors.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear split based on workload type. The AMD PRO A10-8770E is the better choice for Cinebench-style rendering tasks, where it consistently outperforms the Intel Core i3-6100 by about 15% across every test. Its four physical cores and higher memory bandwidth (38.4 GB/s vs 34.1 GB/s) appear to give it an edge in these multi-threaded rendering scenarios, despite its lower 2.80 GHz base clock.

The Intel Core i3-6100 is the better option for Geekbench-style general-purpose computing, where its 27.1% single-core and 19.6% multi-core advantages are decisive. Its higher 3.70 GHz clock speed and 4 MB L3 cache make it far more responsive in the types of applications that Geekbench models, which tend to be more representative of everyday desktop usage.

The overall average scores are nearly identical, 895 for AMD and 888 for Intel, which explains why both sit at the 24th percentile. But that similarity masks the extreme divergence in their performance profiles. A user building a system for rendering should pick the AMD PRO A10-8770E. A user who wants snappier general performance should pick the Intel Core i3-6100. The data does not support a single "best" choice; it supports two different choices for two different sets of priorities. The AMD chip also offers a lower 35-watt TDP, which may matter for compact or power-conscious builds, while the Intel chip's higher 51-watt TDP is the price of its clock speed advantage.