Atom Z540 vs i3-6100

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1704	not rated
Place by popularity	89	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.63	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i3	Intel Atom
Power efficiency	4.99	no data
Architecture codename	Skylake (2015−2016)	Silverthorne (2008−2010)
Release date	1 September 2015 (9 years ago)	2 April 2008 (16 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$117	$160

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	2 (Dual-core)	1 (Single-Core)
Threads	4	2
Base clock speed	3.7 GHz	1.86 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.7 GHz	0.07 GHz
Bus type	DMI 3.0	FSB
Bus rate	4 × 8 GT/s	533.33 MT/s
Multiplier	37	14
L1 cache	64K (per core)	56 KB
L2 cache	256K (per core)	512 KB
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	0 KB
Chip lithography	14 nm	45 nm
Die size	150 mm2	24.18 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	90 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	65 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,400 million	47 Million
64 bit support	+	-
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
VID voltage range	no data	0.75 -1.1V

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1 (Uniprocessor)	1 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCLGA1151	PBGA441
Power consumption (TDP)	51 Watt	2.4 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE2, Intel® SSE3, Intel® SSSE3
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	-	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Demand Based Switching	no data	+
FSB parity	no data	-

Security technologies

Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	-
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	no data
MPX	+	-
Identity Protection	+	-
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	-
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	no data
Maximum memory size	64 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	34.134 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 530	-
Max video memory	64 GB	-
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	-
Graphics max frequency	1.05 GHz	-
InTru 3D	+	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	-
eDP	+	-
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
DVI	+	-

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	+	-
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096x2304@24Hz	-
Max resolution over eDP	4096x2304@60Hz	-
Max resolution over DisplayPort	4096x2304@60Hz	-
Max resolution over VGA	N/A	-

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	-
OpenGL	4.5	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540.

PCIe version	3.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	16	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Pros & cons summary

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Recency	1 September 2015	2 April 2008
Physical cores	2	1
Threads	4	2
Chip lithography	14 nm	45 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	51 Watt	2 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-6100 and Atom Z540, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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