Core 3 100HL vs Xeon Phi 7290

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core 3 100HL

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 245W, a 200W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,586 vs 17,839).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $306 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 3 100HL across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌444.4% higher power demand at 245W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core 3 100HL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 3 100HL

2024

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 245W, a 200W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,586 vs 17,839).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $306 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 3 100HL across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌444.4% higher power demand at 245W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Core 3 100HL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 3 100HL better than Xeon Phi 7290?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Phi 7290 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core 3 100HL is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Phi 7290 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 72 cores and 288 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core 3 100HL is the smarter buy today. Core 3 100HL is at an unclear MSRP at $306 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.9% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Phi 7290 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.4% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (57.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core 3 100HL is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2016) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core 3 100HL Benchmark Check

Xeon Phi 7290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 3 100HL	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	177 FPS	177 FPS
medium	144 FPS	143 FPS
high	119 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	141 FPS
medium	114 FPS	111 FPS
high	94 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	66 FPS
medium	68 FPS	56 FPS
high	54 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core 3 100HL Open Xeon Phi 7290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 3 100HL	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	201 FPS	136 FPS
medium	171 FPS	120 FPS
high	155 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	120 FPS
medium	155 FPS	108 FPS
high	143 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	87 FPS
medium	125 FPS	81 FPS
high	118 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	56 FPS

Open Core 3 100HL Open Xeon Phi 7290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 3 100HL	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	440 FPS	446 FPS
medium	440 FPS	446 FPS
high	440 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	440 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	440 FPS	446 FPS
medium	440 FPS	434 FPS
high	440 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	439 FPS	394 FPS
medium	350 FPS	306 FPS
high	312 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	246 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core 3 100HL Open Xeon Phi 7290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 3 100HL	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	440 FPS	446 FPS
medium	440 FPS	446 FPS
high	440 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	440 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	440 FPS	446 FPS
medium	440 FPS	446 FPS
high	440 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	440 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	440 FPS	446 FPS
medium	440 FPS	405 FPS
high	440 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	391 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core 3 100HL Open Xeon Phi 7290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 3 100HL and Xeon Phi 7290

Core 3 100HL

The Core 3 100HL is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,586 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon Phi 7290

The Xeon Phi 7290 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Knights Landing (2016) architecture. It features 72 cores and 288 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 245 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,839 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core 3 100HL packs 8 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Phi 7290 offers 72 cores / 288 threads — the Xeon Phi 7290 has 64 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 3 100HL versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon Phi 7290 — a 92.1% clock advantage for the Core 3 100HL (base: 2.1 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core 3 100HL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses Knights Landing (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 3 100HL scores 17,586 against the Xeon Phi 7290's 17,839 — a 1.4% lead for the Xeon Phi 7290. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 3 100HL vs 0 kB (total) on the Xeon Phi 7290.

Feature	Core 3 100HL	Xeon Phi 7290
Cores / Threads	8 / 12	72 / 288+800%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+171%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz+40%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	0 kB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Knights Landing (2016)
PassMark	17,586	17,839+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core 3 100HL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.