AMD Athlon II X2 260 vs Intel Core i3-2100

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

AMD Athlon II X2 260 or AMD Athlon II X2 260 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Athlon II X2 260 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 2 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2010 and belongs to the 1 generation of the AMD Athlon II series.
To use the AMD Athlon II X2 260, you'll need a motherboard with a AM3 socket.
The Intel Core i3-2100 features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q1/2011 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-2100, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1155 socket.
AMD Athlon II X2 260 Name Intel Core i3-2100
1 Generation 2
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
AMD Athlon II Family Intel Core i3
AMD Athlon II X2 (Propus) Group Intel Core i 2000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Athlon II X2 260 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 2 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Athlon II X2 260 is 3.2 GHz
The Intel Core i3-2100 has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-2100 is 3.1 GHz
No Overclocking No
No Hyperthreading Yes
2x Cores 2x
3.2 GHz Frequency 3.1 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
2 CPU Cores 2
2 Threads 4
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Athlon II X2 260 does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i3-2100 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i3-2100 uses the Intel HD Graphics 2000, which has 48 texture shaders
and 6 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Execution units 6
GPU name Intel HD Graphics 2000
-- Direct X 10.1
-- GPU frequency 0.85 GHz
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 2.0 GB
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.1 GHz
-- Generation 6
-- Release date Q1/2011
-- Max. displays --
-- Technology 32 nm
-- Shaders 48
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI hardware --
-- AI specifications --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- JPEG No
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
-- VP8 No
-- VC-1 Decode
-- AV1 No
-- VP9 No
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
-- h264 Decode / Encode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
2 Memory channels 2
DDR3-1333 Memory type DDR3-1333
16.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
No ECC No
-- Bandwidth 21.3 GB/s
No AES-NI Yes
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Athlon II X2 260 is manufactured using a 45 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i3-2100 is manufactured using a 32 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 3.0 MB cache.
2.0 MB L2-Cache 512.0 KB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
-- Part Number --
AMD-V Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
0 bytes L3-Cache 3.0 MB
Propus Architecture Sandy Bridge S
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Release price 120 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
SSE3, SSE4a, MMX, 3DNow! ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
-- Chip design Monolithic
Q2/2010 Release date Q1/2011
AM3 Socket LGA 1155
45 nm Technology 32 nm