The Intel i3-7100t CPU is part of Intel’s 7th generation offering which first came out in early 2017. It has 2 cores and 4 threads and runs with a clockspeed of 3.4Ghz. As with other CPUs with a suffix t, it has a typical TDP of 35W. Hence its electricity consumption is relatively low. Thus it is commonly installed in mini, tiny or micro desktop PCs otherwise known as business class PCs because of their quality.
Admittedly the i3-7100t benchmark performance falls a bit short when compared with the Intel 6th generation i5-6500t CPU. Even though its benchmark performance is nothing to shout about, the i3-7100t is worthy of mention for several reasons. Firstly it could be purchased at a relatively attractive price relative to its performance. In other words, you could buy a business class PC able to host an Intel 7th generation like the i3-7100t for less than another business class PC with an i5-6500t. However, there is not so significant difference between both offerings, performance wise. Thus one gets a newer PC at a lower price which is a bit of a bargain.
Secondly, almost all models of the business class desktop able to take in the i3-7100t accepts the newer M.2 NVME Gen3 x4 solid state drive (SSD). For instance, the lower end Dell 3050 micro or HP Prodesk 400 G3 Mini or Lenovo M710q Tiny also have slots for the M.2 NVME SSD. In contrast, only the top tier business class PCs suitable for Intel 6th generation CPUs can operate with the M.2 NVME Gen3 x4 SSD. The lower end PCs for the Intel 6th generation CPUs runs with M.2 SATA SSD or the 2.5in SSD. As explained in an earlier post, the M.2 NVME Gen3 x4 SSD is way faster than the M.2 SATA SSD or the 2.5in SSD.
Thirdly, a business class PC with i3-7100t is able to display 4K movies without jerks or hesitation. This is provided one copies the 4K movie file onto the M.2 NVME Gen3 x4 SSD. Thus one can enjoy 4K movies at a relatively lower cost.
In conclusion, business class PCs with the i3-7100t deserves serious consideration esp for those contemplating an earlier generation PC with an i5 CPU.
This writeup is by beetlek who offers a wide range of mostly used small desktop PCs and occasional laptops for sale in Carousell Singapore. You can see his offering at this link https://www.carousell.sg/u/beetlek/ or search for user beetlek at Carousell Singapore.