Is the Ryzen 3 4100 CPU Good for Gaming?

When selecting a CPU for gaming, the most important characteristics are the frequency (clock speed), core/thread count, cache size, and supported memory type. Additional considerations, such as integrated graphics and overclocking needs, may also influence your selection.

In addition to discussing the characteristics of the 4100 for gaming, this article will discuss recommendations for compatible motherboards, CPU coolers, and memory.

AMD Ryzen 3 4100 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

When using AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPU for gaming, you can expect mediocre game performance with either a high-performance CPU cooler or a stock CPU cooler. This performance is based on the following characteristics of the CPU and their relevance to the latest graphics-intense games:

• 4 MB of L3 cache is poor for performance
• 4 cores allow for mediocre performance
• 3.8 GHz base frequency is good for performance (when not boosting)
• 4.0 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
• Max stock DDR4 speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance
• Lack of overclocking support cannot benefit performance
• PCIe 3.0 support can be poor for performance (limits potential of fastest SSDs and GPUs)

The 4100 has integrated graphics support, but this performance assessment assumes you will use a graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.

Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies.

A CPU's cache is a small amount of memory, close to the CPU cores, containing recently used data.

Games performance can improve as cache size increases, as it will reduce delays when retrieving commonly used game assets from memory.

An L3 cache capacity of at least 20 MB is ideal for game performance.

The AMD Ryzen 3 4100 has an L3 cache capacity of 4 MB.

The 4100's lackluster 4 MB of L3 cache is poor for performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Increased core counts can improve the performance of games that use them, but most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Remember that cache sizes often increase along with core counts, so if you want to increase your L3 cache, you may need to get a CPU with more cores.

AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPUs have 4 cores.

The 4100's 4 cores allow for mediocre performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Single-core performance is essential for some games, as many don't take full advantage of multiple cores.

Boost frequencies are only achieved under ideal circumstances. The safest strategy for consistent gaming performance with a basic cooler is to get a higher base clock speed processor. However, with adequate cooling, you may be able to maintain speeds near the max boost frequency.

The 4100 CPU's lack of support for overclocking cannot benefit performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

The processor has a 3.8 GHz base frequency and supports a 4.0 GHz single-core max boost frequency.

The 4100's 3.8 GHz base frequency is good for performance with the latest graphics-intense games, when not boosting. You can reach these base frequencies even without a high-end cooler.

With a high-end cooler, the 4100's 4.0 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance with the latest graphics-intense games. You can maintain these frequencies with a high-end cooler.

Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies.

The 4100 CPU's support for DDR4 with a max stock speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Faster PC memory can improve game performance and frame rates, but using the fastest RAM may not have as much of an impact as upgrading your CPU and graphics card or adding more RAM.

Learn about our recommended RAM for the 4100 in Choosing the Best RAM for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPU.

The 4100 model name doesn't have a G suffix. Non-G CPUs do not contain integrated graphics, and a separate graphics card is required.

AMD Ryzen 3 4100 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

A CPU cooler's TDP (Thermal Design Power) rating indicates how much heat it can dissipate in watts. If the cooler can't keep your CPU cool enough, your CPU may throttle (slow down), and your cooler will constantly run at full speed.

AMD CPU specifications indicate this power dissipation number as "TDP."

The Ryzen 3 4100 has a TDP of 65 watts.

A CPU cooler can still work with a lower TDP rating than the TDP of a CPU. However, the CPU will eventually throttle itself to a lower frequency to allow itself to cool.

The CPU may not achieve or maintain maximum boost speeds without adequate cooling.

Learn more in What is the Best Type of CPU cooler for a Gaming PC?

For AMD's Zen 2-based Ryzen 3 4100 processor, you'll need a motherboard with an AM4 socket and a compatible chipset.

Motherboards for AMD processors are made with chipsets provided by AMD. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.

Ryzen 4000-series CPUs, which includes the Ryzen 3 4100, are compatible with all 400 and 500-series consumer chipsets. Supported chipsets include the X570, B550, A520, X470, and B450.

The X570 is our recommended chipset for the Ryzen 3 4100 CPU, as it provides the most functionality and the ability to upgrade to a newer AM4 CPU in the future.

Note that the Ryzen 3 4100 CPU only supports PCIe 3.0.

• Find Zen 2 X570 Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).

• Find Zen 2 B550 Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).

• Find Zen 2 A520 Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).

• Our recommended value motherboard to pair with the Ryzen 3 4100 is ASUS's TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) Motherboard: ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
  • High-quality components
  • PCIe 4.0 support
  • One Gb Ethernet port is faster than most Internet speeds.
  • Two NVMe M.2 slots both run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi provides the convenience of connecting to a Wi-Fi router.
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2 offers 10 Gbps USB speeds.
  • Check the latest price of the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) Motherboard on Amazon (affiliate link).

• Our recommended feature-rich motherboard to pair with the Ryzen 3 4100 is MSI's MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard: MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
  • PCIe 4.0 support
  • One 2.5 Gb Ethernet port is faster than most Internet speeds, with room to spare for file transfers.
  • Two NVMe M.2 slots both run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
  • Wi-Fi 6 provides great Wi-Fi speeds (not Wi-Fi 6E, but still really good).
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2 offers 10 Gbps USB speeds.
  • Check the latest price of the MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard on Amazon (affiliate link).

The boxed version of the Ryzen 3 4100 CPU comes with the Wraith Stealth CPU cooler. While stock coolers will prevent your CPU from overheating, your CPU will throttle its performance during games and other intensive tasks. Higher TDP coolers will keep your CPU at turbo speeds for longer durations. Stock coolers are often quite loud at their maximum speed.

• This Enermax liquid cooler has an excellent cooling capability with a 360-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
• Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 2066, 2011-3, 2011, 1700, 1200, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 and AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1.
• Quiet operation at 14-27 dBA.
• Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space! Enermax Liqmax III 360 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

• Dual 140 mm fans provide 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.
• Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.
• Quiet operation at 24.6 dBA. Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

• This CPU cooler doesn't have any fancy LED lights, but the dual 120 mm fans do a great job of cooling AM4 CPUs.
• Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM1.
• Suppose you think this cooler will take up too much space. In that case, Thermaltake has a few single-fan TOUGHAIR variants which use different orientations.
• This CPU cooler has a 2000 RPM max speed for optimal cooling.
• 180-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power). Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Before purchasing memory, review your motherboard specification to verify which speeds are supported. For example, if a DDR4 motherboard stated that it supports "DDR4 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200 / 3000," that would mean that it could support DDR4-3400, DDR4-3333, and DDR4-3300 with memory overclocking, and DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3000 at stock speeds. Motherboard specifications also indicate the maximum capacity per stick of RAM (DIMM) and across all slots.

• At an effective frequency of 3200 MHz, this memory hits the fastest DDR4 speed supported by AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPU without overclocking.
• The low-profile form factor ensures that the heat spreaders don't get in the way of other devices, including your CPU heatsink. Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2X16GB) 3200MHz DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

• This DDR4 memory is designed for overclocking to an effective frequency of 3600 MHz. Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2x16GB) 3600MHz DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
• Compact heat spreaders avoid conflicting with a CPU cooler.

• Which Chipsets Work With AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPU?
• Choosing the Best Power Supply for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPU
• Choosing the Best Motherboard for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100
• Is the Ryzen 3 4100 CPU Good for Gaming?
• Choosing the Best RAM for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100 CPU
• Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 3 4100
• What Is the TDP of the Ryzen 3 4100 CPU?
• How Many Cores Do AMD Ryzen 3 4100 CPUs Have?

Want to brush up on other new technologies to consider when building a computer? Check out these articles:

• Cases:
  • How to Choose the Best PC Case
• CPUs:
  • Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 5.0?
  • Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?
  • LGA 1700 CPU List
  • LGA 1200 CPU List
  • Look up an Intel or AMD CPU on TechReviewer for related recommendations:
• CPU Coolers:
  • What is the Best Type of CPU cooler for a Gaming PC?
  • How to Choose a CPU Cooler for Your PC
  • Best LGA 1700 CPU Cooler for Intel's 12th Gen Core Processors
  • Best AM4 CPU Cooler for AMD Processors
• Storage:
  • Can an SSD Improve PC Gaming Performance? and Does an SSD Increase FPS for PC Gaming?
  • Storage Type Comparison: M.2, U.2, NVMe, SATA, SSDs, HDDs
• Memory:
  • How to Choose the Best RAM for Your PC
  • How Much RAM Do You Need for Gaming? and Is 32 GB of RAM Worth It for Gaming?
  • DDR4 vs. DDR5? Which You Should Buy
  • Is DDR5 Worth It? The Benefits of DDR5 and What Is DDR5?
  • Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support DDR5?
• PCI-Express:
  • Is PCIe 5.0 Worth It?
• Motherboards:
  • Which Motherboards Support PCIe 5.0?
  • Which Motherboards Support PCIe 4.0?
  • Which Motherboard Should You Buy for Intel's 12th Gen CPUs?
• Graphics Cards:
  • Which Graphics Cards Support PCIe 4.0?
• Power Supplies:
  • How to Choose the Best Power Supply for a Gaming PC
  • How to Choose a PC Power Supply
• Keyboards:
  • Best Mechanical Keyboard for Gaming
• Monitors:
  • How to Choose a Gaming Monitor