Ryzen 3 3100 vs Ryzen 3 8440U

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.

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 8440U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 11,957).
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 8440U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 8440U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen 3 8440U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Ryzen 3 8440U

2023

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 8440U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 11,957).
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 8440U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 8440U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 8440U better than Ryzen 3 3100?

Yes. Ryzen 3 8440U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% 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, Ryzen 3 8440U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.1% 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, Ryzen 3 8440U is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 8440U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 3 8440U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.1% 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?

Ryzen 3 8440U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. 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.

Ryzen 3 3100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 8440U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 3 8440U
1080p
low	166 FPS	172 FPS
medium	136 FPS	141 FPS
high	118 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	149 FPS
medium	115 FPS	119 FPS
high	94 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	84 FPS
medium	58 FPS	73 FPS
high	46 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	45 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 3 8440U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 3 8440U
1080p
low	271 FPS	299 FPS
medium	228 FPS	273 FPS
high	191 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	286 FPS
medium	200 FPS	235 FPS
high	169 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	212 FPS
medium	148 FPS	180 FPS
high	118 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	121 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 3 8440U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 3 8440U
1080p
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	298 FPS	299 FPS
high	298 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	299 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	298 FPS	299 FPS
high	298 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	268 FPS	299 FPS
high	226 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	299 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 3 8440U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 3 8440U
1080p
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	298 FPS	299 FPS
high	298 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	299 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	298 FPS	299 FPS
high	298 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	299 FPS
medium	298 FPS	299 FPS
high	298 FPS	299 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	299 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 3 8440U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 3 8440U

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.

Ryzen 3 8440U

The Ryzen 3 8440U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 11,957 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 3 8440U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 8440U — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 8440U (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 3 8440U uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 3100 scores 11,928 against the Ryzen 3 8440U's 11,957 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 3 8440U. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100 vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 8440U.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 3 8440U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.7 GHz+21%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+100%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023−2025)
PassMark	11,928	11,957

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 3 8440U uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.