Ryzen 3 4100 vs Ryzen 3 5400U

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 4100

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5400U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 5400U

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 4100 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,002 vs 11,062).

Ryzen 3 4100

2022

Ryzen 3 5400U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5400U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 4100 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,002 vs 11,062).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 4100 better than Ryzen 3 5400U?

Yes. Ryzen 3 4100 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% 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 4100 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 4100 is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 4100 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 4100 is at an unclear MSRP at $99 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 8.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (111.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 3 4100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 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.

Ryzen 3 4100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 5400U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 3 5400U
1080p
low	182 FPS	170 FPS
medium	145 FPS	145 FPS
high	118 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	144 FPS
medium	122 FPS	122 FPS
high	97 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	68 FPS
medium	58 FPS	61 FPS
high	46 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 3 5400U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 3 5400U
1080p
low	277 FPS	244 FPS
medium	235 FPS	208 FPS
high	204 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	148 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	206 FPS
medium	203 FPS	178 FPS
high	177 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	181 FPS	159 FPS
medium	164 FPS	143 FPS
high	132 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	91 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 3 5400U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 3 5400U
1080p
low	277 FPS	275 FPS
medium	277 FPS	275 FPS
high	277 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	275 FPS
1440p
low	277 FPS	275 FPS
medium	277 FPS	275 FPS
high	277 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	275 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	275 FPS
medium	277 FPS	275 FPS
high	277 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	247 FPS	204 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 3 5400U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 3 5400U
1080p
low	277 FPS	275 FPS
medium	277 FPS	275 FPS
high	277 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	275 FPS
1440p
low	277 FPS	275 FPS
medium	277 FPS	275 FPS
high	277 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	275 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	275 FPS
medium	277 FPS	275 FPS
high	277 FPS	275 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 3 5400U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 4100 and Ryzen 3 5400U

Ryzen 3 4100

The Ryzen 3 4100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8.00391 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 11,062 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 3 5400U

The Ryzen 3 5400U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-U (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,002 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 3 4100 and Ryzen 3 5400U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4100 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 5400U — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Ryzen 3 4100 uses the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 3 5400U uses Cezanne-U (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 4100 scores 11,062 against the Ryzen 3 5400U's 11,002 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 3 4100. L3 cache: 8.00391 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4100 vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 5400U.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 3 5400U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+46%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8.00391 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Renoir (2020−2023)	Cezanne-U (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	11,062	11,002

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 4100 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 5400U uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.