Intel Core i3-6100H vs Core i3-6100U vs Core i5-6200U – which one suits you better if you want the best price/performance ratio

core-i3-vs-i5-vs-i7-6th-gen-skylake-main_thumb800 (1)We wanted to do this article because even though the new Kaby Lake CPUs are just around the corner and the new models are starting to pour in, the Skylake-powered laptops aren’t going anywhere soon. In fact, if you are on a budget we suggest holding a bit longer for the 7th Generation Intel chips to overtake the market so machines with 6th Generation processors will become noticeably cheaper.

And if you decide to take our advice, you will probably come across two of the most popular CPUs from the 6th Generation – the low-end Core i3-6100U and the mid-range Core i5-6200U. Some models are offered with the high-performance Core i3-6100H at an even lower price, although it matches the performance of the Core i5-6200U making your decision even harder to make. Luckily, a fast and easy comparison in terms of performance, power consumption and prices will clear the air so here we go.

For starters, all three processors are mostly suitable for office work, multimedia, demanding multi-tasking applications and rarely gaming. But the Core i3-6100H is considerably cheaper for the OEMs to implement so why is that? Well, the chip is rated at 35W TDP, which is nowhere near the 15W Core i3-6100U and Core i5-6200U. It also lacks the Turbo Boost feature the Core i5 (2.3 – 2.8 GHz) has and thus the impact on the battery is bigger. Still, the raw performance of the silicon is almost identical to the Core i5 and surpasses the one of the Core i3 by 17-18%. This might be solely on the higher clock frequency (2.3 GHz vs 2.7 GHz for the i3-6100U and Core i3-6100H, respectively). So aside from the difference in the clock frequencies and the TDP, all three chips share the same features and specs like Hyper-Threading and VT-x.

Of course, if you are interested, you can find Core i3-6100H, Core i3-6100U and Core i5-6200U-powered notebooks by following the links below:
Intel Core i3-6100H laptops
Intel Core i3-6100U laptops
Intel Core i5-6200U laptops

But what about the iGPU

On the GPU front, things are much more different. While the ULV (ultra-low voltage) Core i3-6100U and Core i5-6200U incorporate the HD Graphics 520, the Core i3-6100H features the HD Graphics 530, which is usually found on the quad-core high-performance chips such as the Core i7-6700HQ. This allows for the Core i3-6100H to take an edge over the other two chips when it comes to raw GPU performance on contrary to the clock speeds of both iGPUs – the HD Graphics 520 ticks at 300 – 1000 MHz while the 530 is clocked at 350 – 900 MHz.

If you want to learn more about the CPUs, follow the link below.

Core i3-6100H
Core i3-6100U
Core i5-6200U

You can also check out our CPU rankings.

Specs sheet

OEM price$225$281$281

Intel Core i3-6100HIntel Core i3-6100UIntel Core i5-6200U
Cores222
Threads444
Base Frequency2.7 Ghz2.3 GHz2.3 GHz
Turbo Boost FrequencyN/AN/A2.8 GHz
GraphicsIntel HD Graphics 530Intel HD Graphics 520Intel HD Graphics 520
EUs242424
TDP35W15W15W
DDR3L support1600 MHz1600 MHz1600 MHz
DDR4 support2133 MHz2133 MHz2133 MHz

Benchmarks


Bottom line

At the end of the day, we can’t choose as everyone has different needs. If you aren’t using any demanding applications and office work is the only everyday task, the Core i3-6100U should do just fine. But if you need a little bit more power without sacrificing battery life, the Core i5-6200U is the best choice, although it’s mostly found in more expensive configurations.

However, if you are short on cash but still need that extra power, the Core i3-6100H is the ideal budget-friendly solution, which can also handle some of the mother games if paired with the right discrete graphics card, which was the case with the HP Pavilion 15. But keep in mind that the higher TDP of the Core i3-6100H will surely affect your battery life in a negative way as well as the cooling system.

Of course, if you are interested, you can find Core i3-6100H, Core i3-6100U and Core i5-6200U-powered notebooks by following the links below:
Intel Core i3-6100H laptops
Intel Core i3-6100U laptops
Intel Core i5-6200U laptops

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