Intel Core i3-10105F is a rarity: Cheap processor for cheap mobos

Extra tests, Processors | | Ľubomír Samák

Intel Core i3-10105F in detail

The choice of CPUs for low budget builds is getting weaker and less economical – the current prices of Pentiums are reminiscent of a bad joke. Core i3-1010x(F) are the only ones in sufficient numbers at the moment, and still for reasonable money. It’s just a shame that AMD has no competition here. But the comparison of Core i3 Comet Lake with Core i5-10400(F) is also attractive. You might find that it’s worth the savings.

Intel Core i3-10105F in detail

Cheap hardware is not having a very good time. We often hear that it is produced more or less with reluctance because the cheaper the component is, the lower the profit margin on it. And dealing with such hardware is, after all, “inefficient”. It is better to convince people that they need “something more expensive” even for a low-end office build.

The current lack of production capacity means that AMD has completely abandoned Ryzen 3s, Athlons are therefore not even in question, and this makes Intel unbeatable at least in the retail market in the sub-100 euro processor category. But even here the choice is severely limited and some of the offers don’t even make sense.s

The Celerons have vanished, which is quite natural – they are the number one choice for mining rigs. It’s not much better with Pentiums either. Whoever isn’t able to get their hands on a Celeron will probably reach for a Pentium as well. The cheapest Comet Lake Pentiums (G6400/G6405) are also virtually sold out, as are the G6500s. And the G6600s are in stock for as much as an extreme 150 euros. The G5620 Coffee Lake is also above a hundred euros.

The Core i3 processors are significantly better and more worth it. At least for now. Both the 10100F and the 10105F are sold in sufficient numbers at prices around the recommended level. This means that Core i3s will, paradoxically, set you back less than the slower Pentiums. Of the pair of bargain models, we chose the newer one – the 10105F – for our tests.

The difference from the 10100F is the 100 MHz higher base clock speed, the clock speed for both single-core and multi-core boost. However, the increase in clock speed here does not mean a higher price, and this processor can also be bought from 85 euros, although the average price is more around 90 euros. But that’s still a nice offer with which you can save more than 60 euros compared to the Core i5-10400(F). You do lose two cores/four threads (the Ci3-10105F is a quad-core processor with HT), but for someone it might be enough – definitely for an office PC.

In addition, the Core i3-10105F also offers higher clock speeds, which is the music to the ears for single-threaded applications. How and in what way the Core i3 Comet Lake stands up against the Core i5 Comet Lake will be shown in the tests in the following chapters. These tests are also preparation for January’s Core i3 (12100) and Pentium (G7400/T) Alder Lake. So hopefully the high prices of the H610 boards won’t spoil it for them, as the ones with B660 chipsets will be significantly more expensive than the CPUs themselves. That is, unless Intel rethinks its pricing policy and makes the Core i3 Alder Lake significantly more expensive as well. But now let’s move on to the Ci3-10105F tests, for which you can get a motherboard for just 50 euros.


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