Intel Core i3 7100 2-core LGA 1151

The i3-7100 is a cheap, low-power dual-core that still handles basic desktop work fine. Single-thread is decent, multi-thread is weak, and you'll probably need to buy a cooler separately. Only worth it if you already have an LGA 1151 board and find one under USD 40.

The 3.9GHz clock speed keeps everyday tasks snappy. Single-thread PassMark hits 2268, which is solid for web browsing, office apps, and light photo work. Multi-thread is a different story at 4313. That's fine for a basic desktop, but anything heavier like video editing or modern gaming will choke. The HD 630 iGPU handles 4K video playback and up to three monitors, which is nice for a budget office setup. Just don't expect it to run anything beyond old or indie games.

Against the AMD Ryzen 5 5500, this thing gets embarrassed. The Ryzen has 6 cores and 12 threads and costs barely more new. The i3-7100 only makes sense if you already own an LGA 1151 motherboard and need the cheapest possible upgrade. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is another old-timer with similar single-thread chops but more cores. And the Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 is ancient history, so the i3 at least beats that. The Thermal Grizzly and garlic chopper in our competitor list are not CPUs, so we'll ignore those.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US you'll see listings from USD 29 to USD 106, and the best deal we spotted is on the low end of that range. In Europe the spread is even wider, EUR 97 to EUR 248, which is frankly absurd for a chip this old. If you're paying more than USD 40 or so, you're overpaying. At the right price, it's a fine drop-in upgrade for an old LGA 1151 board.

The Core i3-7100 is a dual-core Kaby Lake chip from 2017 that still shows up in budget builds and office PCs. It runs at 3.9GHz out of the box, sips 51W, and includes Intel HD Graphics 630, so you can skip a GPU for basic display work. It's not exciting, but it's cheap and predictable.

Our database puts it at 72.1 for budget use, which is decent for a chip this old. Single-thread performance lands in the middle of the pack, but multi-thread is where it shows its age. Two cores and four threads only get you so far in 2025.

Skip this if you're building a new PC or need any real multi-threaded performance. Video editors, streamers, and gamers should look at a Ryzen 5 or modern Core i5 instead. Also skip it if you don't already have a compatible cooler, since the extra cost eats into the savings.

This is a niche buy. If you have an old LGA 1151 board and need a cheap, low-power chip for a basic desktop or home server, the i3-7100 gets the job done. If you're building anything new, spend a bit more on a modern Ryzen or Intel chip. The i3-7100 is a stopgap, not a foundation.