AMD Athlon PRO 300U vs Intel Core i3-7300T Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data consistently places the Intel Core i3-7300T ahead of the AMD Athlon PRO 300U across every recorded Cinebench test. The Intel part wins all five head-to-head comparisons, with margins ranging from 1.4% to 1.5%. While these deltas are narrow, they are uniform: the Core i3-7300T leads in both single-core and multi-core workloads, and never trails in any measured test. The AMD Athlon PRO 300U, by contrast, records no wins in the head-to-head set.

The average benchmark score reinforces the same ordering. The Core i3-7300T holds an average score of 1211, placing it in the 34th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The Athlon PRO 300U averages 1193, sitting at the 33rd percentile. The 18-point gap in average score is small, but the percentile difference indicates that the Intel chip ranks marginally higher within the broader database distribution.

For system builders, the choice depends on platform and power constraints. The Core i3-7300T is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1151 with a 35 W TDP, while the Athlon PRO 300U is a mobile part on AMD Socket FP5 with a 15 W TDP. The Athlon PRO 300U offers a lower power envelope and a boost clock of 3.30 GHz, but the data shows that the higher base clock of the Core i3-7300T at 3.50 GHz corresponds to better benchmark results. Users prioritizing maximum recorded Cinebench performance should select the Intel Core i3-7300T; users prioritizing a lower TDP mobile platform should consider the AMD Athlon PRO 300U, accepting a small measured performance deficit.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i3-7300T has an average benchmark score of 1211, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U has an average score of 1193. The Core i3-7300T also sits at the 34th percentile of all CPUs, one point above the Athlon PRO 300U at the 33rd percentile.

Q: How large is the performance difference in multi-core workloads?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Core i3-7300T scores 3519 versus 3468 for the Athlon PRO 300U, a 1.5% advantage. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Intel chip scores 1477 versus 1456, a 1.4% lead. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the margin is 354 versus 349, again 1.4%.

Q: Does the AMD Athlon PRO 300U win any benchmark?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows five tests, and the AMD Athlon PRO 300U records zero wins. The Intel Core i3-7300T wins all five.

Q: What are the TDP differences between the two processors?

A: The Intel Core i3-7300T has a TDP of 35 W, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U has a TDP of 15 W. The AMD part is rated for a substantially lower power envelope.

Q: How do the single-core scores compare?

A: In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Core i3-7300T scores 496 versus 489 for the Athlon PRO 300U, a 1.4% advantage. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Intel chip scores 208 versus 205, a 1.5% lead.

Q: Are these parts in the same market segment?

A: No. The Intel Core i3-7300T is listed as a Desktop processor, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U is listed as a Mobile processor. Their sockets also differ: Intel Socket 1151 versus AMD Socket FP5.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages. The Intel Core i3-7300T uses the Kaby Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The AMD Athlon PRO 300U uses the Zen architecture, specifically the Raven Ridge 2 codename, also on a 14 nm process but fabricated by GlobalFoundries. Both chips feature 2 cores and 4 threads, so the fundamental compute width is identical.

Cache organization differs notably. The Intel Core i3-7300T has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The AMD Athlon PRO 300U has 128 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. The AMD part therefore doubles the per-core L1 and L2 capacities. However, both processors share 4 MB of L3 cache, so the last-level cache allocation is equal.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Intel Core i3-7300T ships with Intel HD 630 graphics, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U includes Radeon Vega 3 graphics. The database does not record comparative graphics benchmark results, so no performance judgment can be made from the recorded data.

Other architectural details are absent from the database. Neither processor lists transistor counts or die sizes. The AMD part has no recorded PCIe specification, while the Intel part lists PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. Both processors are unlocked multiplier false, so neither supports unlocked overclocking. Both are marked as Active in production status.

The release dates differ by more than two years. The Intel Core i3-7300T was released on 2017-01-02, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U was released on 2019-04-07. Both remain Active in the database.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are identical: 2 cores and 4 threads for both. The base clocks differ. The Intel Core i3-7300T runs at 3.50 GHz base with no boost clock listed. The AMD Athlon PRO 300U runs at 2.40 GHz base and boosts to 3.30 GHz. The Intel part has a higher base clock by 1.10 GHz, while the AMD part offers a boost capability that the Intel part does not list.

TDP is a major differentiator. The Intel Core i3-7300T is rated at 35 W, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U is rated at 15 W. The AMD chip draws less than half the rated power. The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 versus AMD Socket FP5. Market segment also differs: Desktop for Intel, Mobile for AMD.

Memory support is DDR4 for both, and both use a dual-channel memory bus. The Intel part lists a memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, while the AMD part does not have a recorded memory bandwidth figure. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

The process node is the same at 14 nm, but the foundries differ: Intel for the Core i3-7300T, GlobalFoundries for the Athlon PRO 300U. The integrated graphics differ as noted above. The AMD part has no part number recorded, while the Intel part is listed as SR35M. Neither processor has a launch MSRP in the database, so no pricing information can be stated.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data covers five Cinebench tests, and the Intel Core i3-7300T wins all of them. The margins are consistent and narrow. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel chip scores 354 against 349 for the AMD chip, a 1.4% advantage. This is the smallest absolute gap in points, just 5 points, but the percentage margin matches the other multi-core tests.

In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Intel part scores 1477 versus 1456, a 21-point gap that again works out to 1.4%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Intel part scores 3519 versus 3468, a 51-point gap at 1.5%. The multi-core advantage is therefore stable across three generations of the Cinebench test suite, hovering between 1.4% and 1.5%.

The single-core results show the same pattern. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Intel part scores 208 versus 205, a 1.5% lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel part scores 496 versus 489, a 1.4% lead. The single-core margins are essentially identical to the multi-core margins, indicating that the Core i3-7300T's advantage is not workload-specific but rather a consistent per-thread throughput edge.

The nearest rival data places each processor in a similar performance class. The Core i3-7300T's closest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5645 with an identical average score of 1211 and a 0% delta, the Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 at 1212 with a -0.1% delta, and the Intel Core i3-8121U at 1209 with a 0.2% delta. The Athlon PRO 300U's closest rivals include the Intel Core i3-4170 at 1193 with a 0% delta, the Intel Core i7-8665UE at 1193 with a 0% delta, and the AMD Opteron 3365 at 1194 with a -0.1% delta. Both chips sit amid a cluster of older desktop and mobile parts, with the Intel chip holding a slight edge in average score.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-7300T wins in every benchmark category recorded in the database. It leads in multi-core performance across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, and it leads in single-core performance across Cinebench R20 and R23. The margins range from 1.4% to 1.5%, so the Intel advantage is real but modest. Users running Cinebench-style workloads, whether multi-threaded rendering or single-threaded tasks, will see the Intel chip post higher scores in every recorded test.

The AMD Athlon PRO 300U does not win any recorded benchmark, but it holds advantages in other specification areas that may matter for certain use cases. Its TDP of 15 W is less than half the Intel part's 35 W, making it the more power-efficient choice on paper for mobile or thermally constrained systems. Its socket, AMD Socket FP5, and Mobile market segment indicate it is designed for laptop-class platforms. The AMD part also has larger per-core L1 and L2 caches, though the database shows no benchmark result where that translates into a measured win.

The choice between the two is therefore a platform and power decision rather than a performance decision. The recorded data shows that the Intel Core i3-7300T is the faster processor in every measured test, while the AMD Athlon PRO 300U offers a lower TDP and a mobile form factor. Builders who can accommodate the Intel Socket 1151 desktop platform and its 35 W TDP should expect higher Cinebench scores across the board. Builders who need a 15 W mobile processor should select the Athlon PRO 300U, with the understanding that the benchmark data gives the performance edge to the Intel part in all five head-to-head comparisons.