Core i5-10505 vs Ryzen 3 3100

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 i5-10505

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 62.5 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $93 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
✅Delivers 92.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 62.5 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10505 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 12,009).

Core i5-10505

2021

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $93 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
✅Delivers 92.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 62.5 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $192 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 62.5 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($192 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-10505 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 12,009).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-10505 better than Ryzen 3 3100?

Yes. Core i5-10505 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 9.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-10505 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 9.3% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-10505 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i5-10505 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i5-10505 is 93.9% more expensive on MSRP at $192 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 3100 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. At roughly 11,928 PassMark with 4 cores and 8 threads, it only makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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

Core i5-10505 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-10505 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 3100 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	186 FPS	166 FPS
medium	150 FPS	136 FPS
high	122 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	144 FPS
medium	119 FPS	115 FPS
high	96 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	68 FPS
medium	72 FPS	58 FPS
high	58 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-10505 Open Ryzen 3 3100

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	300 FPS	271 FPS
medium	273 FPS	228 FPS
high	248 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	214 FPS	147 FPS
1440p
low	299 FPS	231 FPS
medium	247 FPS	200 FPS
high	226 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	250 FPS	165 FPS
medium	208 FPS	148 FPS
high	192 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	161 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i5-10505 Open Ryzen 3 3100

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	300 FPS	298 FPS
medium	300 FPS	298 FPS
high	300 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	298 FPS
1440p
low	300 FPS	298 FPS
medium	300 FPS	298 FPS
high	300 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	298 FPS
4K
low	300 FPS	298 FPS
medium	300 FPS	268 FPS
high	300 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	238 FPS	179 FPS

Open Core i5-10505 Open Ryzen 3 3100

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	300 FPS	298 FPS
medium	300 FPS	298 FPS
high	300 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	298 FPS
1440p
low	300 FPS	298 FPS
medium	300 FPS	298 FPS
high	300 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	298 FPS
4K
low	300 FPS	298 FPS
medium	300 FPS	298 FPS
high	300 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	298 FPS

Open Core i5-10505 Open Ryzen 3 3100

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-10505 and Ryzen 3 3100

Core i5-10505

The Core i5-10505 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2021 (4 years ago). It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 12,009 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,928 points. Launch price was $99.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-10505 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 3100 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-10505 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-10505 versus 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 — a 16.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-10505 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 3 3100 is built on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-10505 scores 12,009 against the Ryzen 3 3100's 11,928 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i5-10505. L3 cache: 12 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Core i5-10505 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100.

Feature	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+18%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz	3.6 GHz+12%
L3 Cache	12 MB Intel® Smart Cache	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	—	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	—	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	12,009	11,928

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-10505 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 3 3100 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
Socket	LGA1200	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-10505) / AMD-V (Ryzen 3 3100). Primary use case: Ryzen 3 3100 targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i5-10505	Ryzen 3 3100
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

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Value Analysis

The Core i5-10505 launched at $192 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 3100 debuted at $99. On MSRP ($192 vs $99), the Ryzen 3 3100 is $93 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-10505 delivers 62.5 pts/$ vs 120.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 3100 — making the Ryzen 3 3100 the 63.3% better value option.