Check if the Ryzen 3 4100 fits your budget and needs at $55.
Check if the Ryzen 3 4100 fits your budget and needs at $55.
The Ryzen 3 4100 is essentially a less powerful version of the Core i3 10100F, similar to the older Ryzen 3 3100. At its original price, it was a poor value, and it hasn’t been cheaper than $65 for a long time. Recently, Newegg is offering it for $55 with a promo code, which could be a decent opportunity. The main drawback has always been its cost, but now the reduced price makes it more appealing for budget builds. I managed to assemble a system under $500 that includes an RX 6600, something that’s usually tough to achieve with other new components. PCPartPicker’s list is available here.
There’s also the used market to think about. At this price, you could find Ryzen 5 2600s, but those require different motherboards (like A520 boards don’t support older CPUs), adding $10 for a compatible board and a cooler. Performance-wise, the 4c/8t Zen 2 should still outperform the older Zen+ chip, so it remains a solid choice for entry-level builds if the budget allows.
Overall, I believe the Ryzen 3 4100 could be a reasonable option for a low-cost PC, especially if you’re okay with some compromises. Your assessment seems reasonable—worth checking out before deciding.
In the market the 3100 performed quite well in its release area. The main issue came when the 3300X disappeared from shelves almost permanently, pushing the 3100 prices up to roughly $130 to $150 across most stores (possibly around $200 at one point). On the flip side, the 4100 offered a solid $100 price tag and the AM4 platform added flexibility. This made it a strong choice for budget buyers who want more than just older Intel chips on the used side. At this cost it matches the Ryzen 5 1600 nicely, offering decent gaming performance while still allowing upgrades to powerful options like the 5800X3D. Updated April 24, 2023 by Fasauceome
Exploring options that focus on cost savings on RAM and power supply could help fit a 4500 or even an NV2 within a $500 budget.
The 3100 definitely offered good value for $100, which is why both the 4100 and 3300X sold out rapidly upon release. I was talking about the 4100 specifically when I mentioned that point. The 4100 was actually a poor value at $100 because it matched the price of the 12100F, which delivers roughly 30% more performance, and it cost more than the 10100F (which offers similar results). It also doesn’t provide any generational improvement over the original 3100, which is frustrating given its release two years later. The entry-level CPU scene in early 2020 was quite different from what it was in early 2022. I’m hoping the price stays below $60 moving forward, since that would make it seem reasonable. The next goal should be sub-$150 GPUs to complement it, similar to how you could get a solid gaming setup with a Pentium G4560 or Ryzen 3 1200 paired with an RX 560 or GTX 1050 for under $400 total.
Choosing a Gen 4 drive doesn't make sense since both the CPU and board are restricted to Gen 3. Swapping the mid-range PSU for a basic IED isn't advisable, and while you could cut RAM speed, Ryzen prefers quicker memory. I attempted to install the 4500 and found the PSU change wasn't justified, though I managed to upgrade RAM within budget. That particular PSU, Smart 80+ White, appears on the F Tier of the PSU cultists' list: https://cultists.network/140/psu-tier-list/
That's a solid observation. If we revert the SSD to the TEAMGROUP configuration, it could help secure a suitable PSU within the budget. The addition of that PSU was somewhat of a lighthearted decision.
I’d increase the budget slightly to reach at least 4500, ensuring the CPU isn’t replaced by newer games that are exclusive for this generation.