A10-7870K vs. Core i3-6100 CPU Review

Introduction

Mainstream CPUs are the bestseller models, since they gather more processing power than the value ones and are not as expensive as the high-end models. Today, we will compare two new intermediate processors, the A10-7870K from AMD and the Core i3-6100 “Skylake” from Intel, both them with integrated video. Let’s find out which one is the fastest.
AMD recently launched their new APUs (as they call their processors with integrated video), codenamed “Godavari,” which bring some updates over the “Kaveri” models, but using the same FM2+ socket. The A10-7870K is one of the fastest processors in this family, with four CPU processing cores and an integrated Radeon R7 GPU with 512 cores (divided in eight computing units). Its base clock is 3.9 GHz, with turbo clock up to 4.1 GHz.
Figure 1 unveils the A10-7870K CPU we used in our tests, with its box and stock cooler.

Figure 1: the A10-7870K processor

On the other hand, Intel launched recently its new sixth-generation “Core i” processors, codenamed “Skylake”. Those processors are manufactured under 14 nm process, use the new LGA1151 socket, support DDR4 memory (those CPUs also support DDR3 memory, so it is the motherboard that defines the kind of memory to be used) and use the new 9th-gen DirectX 12 GPU.

The Core i3-6100 has two processing cores (recognized as four by the operating system due to the Hyper-Threading technology) and 3.7 GHz clock. It has an HD 530 graphics engine, with 24 execution units and maximum clock of 1.05 GHz. Figure 2 shows the Core i3-6100 with its box and stock cooler.

Figure 2: the Core i3-6100 processor

In figure 3, you can see both the CPUs tested.

Figure 3: the A10-7870K (left) and the Core i3-6100 (right)

Let’s compare the main specs of the reviewed CPUs in the next page.