The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is Ryzen’s 3rd generation CPU based on Zen 2 architecture. This one comes in the entry-level segment and is suitable for users who do not want very high performance from their CPUs. But, still, this CPU is enough for gaming. Obviously, you can’t expect this CPU to run all the high-end games on 4K Ultra resolution because it will bottleneck the high-end GPUs. But, it can still play most of the 4K games at least 60 FPS.
However, keep a thing in mind that the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 doesn’t come with integrated graphics. So, an external graphics card will be required if you want to play any game.
Now, because this CPU just has 4 Physical Cores (8 Threads), you won’t be able to get the most out of an NVIDIA 3090 with it. But, you can combine it with any 20 series NVIDIA graphics card, or other graphics cards such as RX 5700 or RX5600.
If you want to play 4K games using Ryzen 3 3100, you can go for any NVIDIA 2080 Ti, Radeon RX 5700, or even 3050. You will hardly see any bottlenecks. Going for very high-end graphics cards such as RTX 3090 can result in a GPU bottleneck. You can check all the specifications of Ryzen 3 3100 right here.
Which games can you play using AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU?
The game performance will depend on the graphics card. But, the CPU must be able to run those games even if you are investing in a very good GPU. If the CPU is very weak, it will cause bottleneck issues and hence stop your GPU from working on its best. So, if you have made your decision for the Ryzen 3 3100 CPU, let me help you understand which games will be playable with this card.
For example, you can play Cyberpunk 2077 with this CPU. The only term is that you should have at least 8GB VRAM and 16GB RAM. So, if you have Ryzen 3 3100 CPU combined with RTX 2080 Super, RTX 3070, or RX 3800, you can easily run Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra 4K settings. You can expect around 30-50 FPS with these specs.
Also Read: Is AMD Ryzen 7 4700G good for gaming?
However, if you want to play games like GTA-5, Valorant, PUBG, Minecraft, Fortnite, etc, the RTX 2080 and Ryzen 3 3100 are more than enough to get 60 FPS at 4K settings.
So, we can say that the Ryzen 3 3100 is a very capable CPU. But, it is going to limit your somewhere when you want to get very high FPS through your high-end graphics card.
In simple words, if your overall build is not very high, you can easily choose the Ryzen 3 3100 and you will be good to go.
In my suggestion, with this CPU, you should go for at least RTX 1660 Super in order to get the best performance and a balance between your CPU and GPU.
Can you use AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090?
Yes, you can definitely configure them both on a single system and the system will start working fine. However, there are going to be serious bottleneck issues when you play heavy games.
For example, if you start your favorite game Shadow of the Tomb Raider. You set the resolution at the highest settings possible. Your RTX 3090 is ready to throw the most competitive FPS.
You are expecting around 100 FPS because you have invested a lot of money in your RTX 3090. But, wait, the FPS is not going beyond 40. Ohh! The CPU usage has already reached 100%.
This is an annoying situation to be in. But, you can still play your game. However, this is a very heavy bottleneck offered by your 3rd Gen 3100 CPU.
But, again, If you can buy an RTX 3090, 3080, and even 3070, you can surely go for a good Ryzen 5 or 7 CPU as well. With these heavy graphics cards, you should surely go for an AMD CPU with at least 12 cores. Also, try to have CPU frequency above 4 GHz.
Why and when you should buy Ryzen 3 3100 for gaming?
First of all, the Ryzen 3 3100 is a very good option for those who are finding a budget CPU for gaming builds. It will cost you around 180$. But, the specs are just beautiful at this price point. As we discussed earlier, it has 4 cores and 8 threads.
But, the special thing is its clock frequency which is 3.9 GHz. Impressively, you can also overclock it till 4.3 GHz.
At this price point, you can grab Intel Core i3 9100F. But, Ryzen has better things to offer for you with this CPU. A higher number of threads, higher frequency, and overclocking features make the Ryzen 3 3100 better than Intel i3 9100F.
So, if your budget for CPU falls below 200$ but you still want to enjoy 4K games and you are good with a little low FPS, you should surely go with AMD Ryzen 3 3100. Again, the gaming performance is highly dependent on your GPU configurations. But, this CPU can be a good companion for most of the high-end and budget segment graphics cards.
Why and when you should not buy Ryzen 3 3100?
The Ryzen 3 3100 will work fine with any RTX 10 and 20 series NVIDIA graphics cards and equivalent Radeon cards as well. But, with the high-end graphics cards like RTX 3060, 3070, 3080, 3090, Radeon 3800 XT, RX 6800, or RX 6900 XT, you should not combine these CPUs. With the high-end GPUs, you are going to face bottlenecks.
So, this CPU is definitely good for entry-level, average, and hobbyist gamers but you shouldn’t expect very high performance because it is still a low-end CPU. It is enough to help you play most of the games in 1080 at amazing FPS. Also, for 4K gaming, you will be able to get satisfactory FPS. But, a good graphics card is mandatory.
In other words, checking the bottleneck issues is in your hand and this CPU will give you good performance with all the games you want to play.
Can I play 4K games with Ryzen 3 3100 CPU?
Yes, you can play 4K games with Ryzen 3 3100 CPU. A lot of people even use this CPU for heavy 4K gaming. They might get low FPS because of the CPU bottleneck. But, for normal gamers, the performance is going to be above average.
Again, if you are spending a good amount on a graphics card that can run 4K games, you should spend some good money on a CPU as well.
If you want to do it for some time, all the games are playable in 4K even with your 3100 CPU. You can even enhance its performance by going for a liquid cooler and overclocking it to its fullest frequency range. In this way, you can start achieving better results and the GPU bottlenecks will be reduced a lot.
In fact, I have found an amazing video where this CPU is combined with the Asus TUF RTX 3080 OC graphics card and very demanding games are running amazingly at 4K resolution.
Thanks for reading!
I am Anshul Rana, an experienced author specializing in PC gear reviews and Windows 10 software tutorials. With a strong passion for technology and an in-depth understanding of the PC industry, I provide insightful and detailed analyses of computer peripherals, gaming gear, and software solutions. My writing style is concise yet informative, making complex topics accessible to both beginners and advanced users. Through my reviews and tutorials, I aim to offer valuable guidance, helping readers make informed decisions to enhance their PC experience and explore the vast possibilities of Windows 10 software.
