Intel Core i3-10105 Review
For the desktop market, Intel only introduced Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 versions when it unveiled its 11th Generation “Rocket Lake” CPUs in 2021. The best you could accomplish with Team Blue’s most recent generation of processors was “Comet Lake Refresh,” a brief run of modestly modified Core i3 and Pentium 10th Generation devices. These CPUs use the same Intel LGA 1200 socket and are somewhat faster versions of the original 10th Generation Comet Lake components. LGA 1200’s time has come to an end as lower-end 12th Generation “Alder Lake” CPUs have started to hit the market. As socket LGA 1200 becomes a value play and is replaced by Alder Lake’s LGA 1700, we got our hands on one of the most affordable Core i3 Refresh variants, the Core i3-10105 ($122), to see what type of performance you can anticipate from this cheap processor. Spoiler? The fact that it has integrated graphics and that you can really buy it saves it from being a cheap chip that would make your pulse race.
The Core i3-10105, an updated component, is nearly identical to the Core i3-10100, the model it directly replaced in the first range of 10th Generation Core/Comet Lake processors. Both are LGA 1200 CPUs with four CPU cores that allow Hyper-Threading and up to eight concurrent processing threads. The Core i3-10105 is somewhat quicker than the Core i3-10100, clocking in at a base frequency of 3.7GHz and a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 4.4GHz, respectively.
Both the Core i3-10105 and Core i3-10100 include an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with UHD Graphics 630 from Intel. This graphics system uses 24 EUs that can run at a maximum speed of 1.1GHz. We’ve tested this IGP a lot in the past, and we’ll test it again today. Expect it to perform okay in older games but poorly in anything too recent or visually demanding. This IGP performs well when used for non-gaming activities like watching movies and browsing the web.
The Core i3-official 10105’s memory support is only compatible with dual-channel DDR4 RAM running at speeds of up to 2,666 MHz, up to 128GB, or the lowest peak capacity permitted by your motherboard. With the Core i3-10105, you should be able to run your RAM faster than this with the correct RAM and motherboard, but you won’t be able to do so with a motherboard based on the H410 or H510 chipset.
The Core i3-10105 may be purchased at retail as well as in a number of OEM systems. (Our sample came from a Dell Inspiron Desktop 3891 that we examined.) For people who already have a video card to use with this CPU, Intel also offers a Core i3-10105F model that is somewhat less expensive but does not have the IGP enabled. The chip’s basic heatsink fan assembly for usage with an LGA 1200 motherboard is supplied if you purchase it as a retail item from Intel.
Intel Core i3-10105 Platform Issues
Overall, the price and availability of each in the real world represent how much more desirable the Core i3-10105 is compared to the Ryzen 3 3100. A Core i3-10105 and Intel’s other Comet Lake Refresh CPUs are very accessible at list pricing in these silicon-strapped times. However, you’ll have to look hard for the Ryzen 3 3100 or the superior Ryzen 3 3300X. However, while being slower in several tests, this Core i3 loses to the 3100 by a little margin. If not for two additional, price-related elements, the battle would be fairly well matched.
The most cheap LGA 1200 motherboards, which cost between $80 and $90, are compatible with the Core i3-10105 (as of the time of this review). The rival Ryzen 3 3100 is an AM4 socket CPU that can be used with any AMD 400- or 500-series chipset board, with the most cheap one costing only $60 to $70. (as of the time of this review).
If you happen to get one of the AMD chips at its MSRP, you’ll thus probably spend more for a Core i3-10105 CPU in a “overall platform” sense than for a Ryzen 3 3100. The Ryzen 3 3100 is priced lower than the Core i3-10105, at around $100. Assuming list pricing and the least expensive motherboards, this results in a regular cost of ownership difference between the faster AMD configuration and the slower Core i3-10105 system of roughly $40.
In reality, though, the Ryzen 3 3100 sells for $150 and more while the Core i3-10105 often sells for $110 to $135, making this comparison considerably less grim for Intel. … if you can even locate it! However, even after accounting for the least expensive motherboards and taking into account the faster AMD system’s somewhat higher performance, this still results in a $10 to $15 pricing advantage for the faster AMD system. This ignores the fact that the LGA 1200 platform is no longer supported, the new 12th Generation Alder Lake chips utilize a completely different socket, and new AM4 processors may theoretically be launched for future upgrades, if you choose AMD.
Currently, the IGP is the major talking point and the factor that some customers will use to choose Intel. This math up until this point has always assumed that you’ll match your CPU with a video card you already possess, and video cards these days aren’t exactly cheap. The Core i3-10105 includes onboard UHD Graphics, however the Ryzen 3 3100 and 3300X lack an IGP. If you exclude the now-outdated Ryzen 3 3200G, which sells for exorbitant rates, when you can buy it at all, AMD IGP-equipped Ryzens start at roughly $250.
Is The Intel Core i3-10105 Worth It?
It’s difficult to weigh this chip in the market of today. The Core i3-10105 is only moderately recommended unless you are absolutely wanting to go without a graphics card due to its poor performance when compared to its cheaper Ryzen 3 competitor and the greater cost of ownership for the LGA 1200 architecture. If you have a good video card and can locate the Ryzen 3 reasonably priced, you will save money and gain greater performance by choosing a Ryzen 3 3100 over a Core i3-10105. But it’s quite unlikely.
All of this might alter as a result of shifting market factors that affect prices. Pricing pressure from Intel’s upcoming Alder Lake might be applied to processors and boards below it. The Core i3-10105 might become a more desirable choice to consider for a low-cost system if the cost of one lowers a bit more or if you get a great deal on an LGA 1200 motherboard. However, more affordable Alder Lake boards are on the way, and the i3-window 10105’s of appeal is rapidly shrinking. As soon as those affordable models and boards become available, you’ll probably want to go Ryzen if you can, or look at your Alder Lake possibilities.
Intel Core i3-10105 Benchmark
Intel Core i3-10105 Verdict
In the end, Intel’s Core i3-10105 Comet Lake is a modestly priced quad-core CPU that comes with competent integrated graphics despite having a dead-end socket and a high list price.