Intel Core i3 14100 4-core LGA1700

The i3-14100 posts a 3762 single-thread PassMark score, putting it in the top 11% of our database. That's exceptional for a budget chip with a 60W TDP. Multi-thread is more modest at 15098, but for everyday tasks this is one of the best value CPUs on the market right now.

The single-thread score of 3762 is the headline here. That's a top-tier result for a chip in this price bracket, and it translates to snappy app launches, quick web browsing, and responsive photo editing. The 4.7GHz boost clock does the heavy lifting, and with only 4 cores to feed, Intel can push them hard without blowing past the 60W base TDP.

Multi-thread is more of a mixed bag. 15098 is solid, sitting in the top 29% of our database, but it's not going to set any rendering records. The 8 threads help with multitasking and light video work, but heavy all-core workloads will show the limits of a quad-core design. The 110W turbo ceiling gives it some headroom, but don't expect this to hang with even a mid-range 6-core in sustained multi-threaded tasks.

Against the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, this isn't even a fair fight, that chip costs several times more and dominates in every metric. But that's not the point. The i3-14100 is for budget builds, and in that context it's competing with older i5s and Ryzen 3s. The single-thread score of 3762 actually beats many previous-gen i5 chips, which is why one buyer saw a NovaBench jump from 2900 to 3500 after upgrading from an i5-12400. The be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 is a cooler, not a CPU, so that's not a real comparison. The KOMQI Core i5 is a much older Haswell chip that this i3 crushes in every way.

Pricing is all over the place right now. US listings range from $135 to $219, which is an $84 spread for the exact same chip. At $135, this is an absolute steal for the single-thread performance you're getting. At $219, you're dangerously close to better 6-core options. Canadian buyers face an even wider gap, with prices from $150 to $336 CAD. Shop around before you commit, the cheapest US listing is the obvious pick if you can find it in stock.

The i3-14100 pulls a 15098 multi-thread PassMark score, which lands it in the top third of our database. That's a lot of punch for a chip that sips power at a 60W TDP. The single-thread number is even more impressive at 3762, putting it in the top 11% of everything we've tested. For a budget quad-core, this thing punches way above its weight class in everyday responsiveness.

Intel kept the formula simple here: 4 P-cores, 8 threads, no E-cores to complicate scheduling. You get 12MB of L3 cache, 5MB of L2, and a 4.7GHz boost clock. The boxed cooler is included, which saves you a few bucks on a budget build. And the UHD Graphics 730 iGPU means you can skip a discrete GPU entirely if you're just doing office work or light media tasks.

Skip this if you do heavy multi-threaded work like video editing, 3D rendering, or running virtual machines. The 15098 multi-thread score is fine for everyday use but falls behind any modern 6-core chip. The server score of 65.7/100 is the weakest area by far, so don't even think about this for a home lab or NAS with serious workloads. And if you're planning to rely on the integrated graphics for anything beyond basic display output, look elsewhere, the UHD 730 is not a gaming solution.

The i3-14100 is the budget king of single-thread performance. If your workload is web browsing, office apps, light photo editing, or casual gaming with a discrete GPU, this chip delivers a top-tier experience at a fraction of the cost of higher-end parts. The 3762 single-thread score is the number that matters most, and it's genuinely impressive. Just don't expect it to chew through video renders or heavy multitasking, the 4-core design has real limits.