TL;DR: AMD’s Ryzen 5000-series announcement has got many PC fans excited, but not everyone is willing or able to spend $300 - $800 on a new processor. Those on a budget might want to turn their attention to Intel, which has quietly launched the 4-core/8-thread Core i3-10100F for under $100.

Intel already has several versions of this 10th-generation Comet Lake chip. This new incarnation looks to target anyone after a sub-$100 CPU—because it lacks integrated graphics, as denoted by the “F” suffix, the processor has an MSRP of $79 - $97.

The Core i3-10100F is based on the same 14nm process as the rest of the Comet Lake series, offering a base clock of 3.6 GHz and a boost of 4.3 GHz. It also features 6MB of L3 cache and a generous 65W TDP (thermal power design).

It appears that with the Core i3-10100F, Intel is releasing a chip to compete against AMD’s Ryzen 3 3300X. Team red’s option features the same boost clock, TDP, lack of integrated graphics, and core/thread count, though its base is slightly faster (3.8 GHz), and it has more L3 cache (16MB). The Ryzen chip is also more expensive at $120.

We really liked the Ryzen 3300X, awarding it—and the Ryzen 3 3100—a score of 91 in our review and calling them “the new undisputed budget champions.” But purchasing the former has been difficult for quite a few months now, with most retailers listing it as out of stock. So while Intel might find the Ryzen 5000 series eating ( more ) into its mainstream CPU market, the Core i3-10100F could become a favorite among budget buyers.