Intel Core i3-8100 vs Intel Core i7-10510U Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i7-10510U (Comet Lake-U) and the Intel Core i3-8100 (Coffee Lake) split their benchmark territory sharply, with 14 wins going to the mobile i7 and 5 wins to the desktop i3. The database records show the i7-10510U dominates rendering workloads and integer-heavy tasks, while the i3-8100 takes the lead in memory-sensitive, instruction-heavy, and single-core Geekbench tests.

For users focused on multi-threaded productivity, the i7-10510U is the clear choice. Its Cinebench results across R15, R20, and R23 all show a consistent 43% advantage over the i3-8100 in both multi-core and single-core runs. The passmark integer math test shows the largest gap of any benchmark, with the i7-10510U scoring 44.8% higher. This suggests the mobile part's higher boost clock and hyper-threading make it substantially better at arithmetic loops and general computation.

The i3-8100, meanwhile, wins exclusively in Geekbench and specific Passmark sub-tests. Its Geekbench multi-core score of 3458 is 23.4% higher than the i7-10510U's 2648, and its single-core Geekbench score is 15% higher. The i3-8100 also leads in extended instruction set performance (27.6% higher), prime number finding (18.5% higher), and data compression (a narrow 0.5% edge). These results point to a desktop part that handles branchy, instruction-diverse code more efficiently, likely due to its higher base clock of 3.60 GHz versus the i7's 1.80 GHz base.

The i7-10510U wins the overall average benchmark score comparison (8580 versus 8123), but the i3-8100 holds a 64th percentile versus the i7's 65th percentile among all CPUs, making them effectively peers in the broader performance hierarchy.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 14 nm process, but they target entirely different platforms and design goals. The i7-10510U is a Comet Lake-U part, a mobile chip soldered to the Intel BGA 1440 socket, with a 25 W TDP. The i3-8100 is a Coffee Lake desktop chip running on Intel Socket 1151, with a 65 W TDP and a die size of 126 mm². The i7-10510U has no listed die size in the database.

The core configurations differ in threading: both have 4 cores, but the i7-10510U supports 8 threads via Hyper-Threading, while the i3-8100 is limited to 4 threads. The i7's base clock is 1800 MHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz; the i3-8100 has a fixed 3.60 GHz clock and no boost capability. Cache hierarchies differ as well: the i7-10510U carries 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i3-8100 has 6 MB. Both share the same 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core.

Memory support diverges significantly. The i7-10510U accepts both DDR3 and DDR4, while the i3-8100 only supports DDR4. The i3-8100 specifies dual-channel memory with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the i7-10510U has no listed memory bus or bandwidth in the database. The i3-8100 also supports ECC memory, a feature absent on the i7-10510U. The i3-8100 exposes PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU; the i7-10510U has no PCIe configuration listed.

Integrated graphics differ in branding: the i7-10510U uses "UHD Graphics" while the i3-8100 uses "UHD Graphics 630". The i7-10510U launched on 2019-08-20, nearly two years after the i3-8100's 2017-10-04 release. Both are end-of-life, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The i3-8100 lists a part number (SR3N5) and a launch MSRP of $117; the i7-10510U has neither in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result in the head-to-head comparison is passmark integer math, where the i7-10510U scores 23441 against the i3-8100's 16191, a 44.8% advantage. This aligns with the Cinebench family of tests, where the i7-10510U wins every single run: R15 multi-core (542 vs 379, +43%), R15 single-core (76 vs 53, +43.4%), R20 multi-core (2262 vs 1582, +43%), R20 single-core (319 vs 223, +43%), R23 multi-core (5388 vs 3769, +43%), and R23 single-core (760 vs 532, +42.9%). The consistency across three Cinebench versions and both core and single-thread tests indicates a fundamental throughput advantage for the mobile i7, driven by its 4.90 GHz boost and 8 threads.

The i3-8100's largest win comes in passmark extended instructions, where it scores 7212 versus 5224, a 27.6% margin. This test likely reflects the desktop chip's ability to process SIMD-style workloads, and the i3-8100 also takes passmark find prime numbers with 27 versus 22 (18.5% higher). In Geekbench, the i3-8100 wins multi-core by 23.4% (3458 vs 2648) and single-core by 15% (1214 vs 1032), a reversal of the Cinebench trend that suggests Geekbench rewards the i3's higher base clock and lower thread overhead.

The i7-10510U takes the remaining Passmark tests by narrower margins: data encryption (2151 vs 1828, +17.7%), random string sorting (11068 vs 10150, +9%), multithread (6450 vs 6086, +6%), floating point math (14080 vs 13774, +2.2%), physics (472 vs 462, +2.2%), and single-thread (2237 vs 2203, +1.5%). The data compression test is nearly a tie, with the i3-8100 edging out the i7 by a mere 0.5% (82992 vs 82606).

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Core i7-10510U scores 5388 versus the Intel Core i3-8100's 3769, a 43% advantage.

Q: Does the i3-8100 win any benchmark by a wide margin?

A: Yes, the i3-8100 leads by 27.6% in passmark extended instructions (7212 vs 5224) and by 23.4% in Geekbench multi-core (3458 vs 2648).

Q: Do both CPUs have the same number of cores?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores, but the i7-10510U has 8 threads while the i3-8100 has 4 threads.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: Only the Intel Core i3-8100 supports ECC memory. The i7-10510U does not list ECC support.

Q: What is the manufacturing process for both chips?

A: Both are built on Intel's 14 nm process node.

Q: Which CPU has a higher single-thread Passmark score?

A: The i7-10510U scores 2237 versus the i3-8100's 2203, a 1.5% difference.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Core i7-10510U | Intel Core i3-8100 |

|-------|----------------------|--------------------|

| Threads | 8 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 1800.00 MHz | 3.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.90 GHz | None listed |

| TDP | 25 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1440 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Comet Lake | Coffee Lake |

| Codename | Comet Lake-U | Coffee Lake |

| Generation | Core i7 (Comet Lake-U) | Core i3 (Coffee Lake) |

| Die Size | Not listed | 126 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR3, DDR4 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Not listed | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not listed | 38.4 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | false | true |

| PCIe | Not listed | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Desktop |

| Release Date | 2019-08-20 | 2017-10-04 |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | $117 |

| Part Number | Not listed | SR3N5 |

| avgBenchmarkScore | 8580 | 8123 |

| Percentile vs All CPUs | 65 | 64 |