AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE vs Intel Core i5-8600K Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more physical cores?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600K has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: How do the two chips compare in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE scores 9540, which is 9.7% higher than the Intel Core i5-8600K's 8611.

Q: What is the thermal design power of each processor?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600K has a TDP of 95 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE has a TDP of 35 watts.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600K boosts to 4.30 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE boosts to 4.00 GHz.

Q: Do both processors support overclocking?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i5-8600K and the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE have an unlocked multiplier.

Q: What is the production status of each chip?

A: The Intel Core i5-8600K is end-of-life, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE is still active.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Core i5-8600K is built on Intel's Coffee Lake architecture using a 14 nm process node fabricated by Intel itself. It houses 6 cores with 6 threads, reflecting a design where each core handles a single thread. The chip includes 64 KB of L1 cache and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 9 MB L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, delivering a recorded bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. It does not support ECC memory. The integrated graphics solution is the UHD Graphics 630, and the processor connects to the system via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. It was released on 2017-10-04 and is now classified as end-of-life.

The AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE is a Zen 2 part, codenamed Renoir, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It contains 4 cores but 8 threads, using simultaneous multithreading to double the logical thread count. The L1 cache is the same 64 KB per core, but L2 is larger at 512 KB per core, while the shared L3 cache is 4 MB. The chip has a die size of 156 mm² and packs 9,800 million transistors. Memory support is again DDR4 dual-channel, but bandwidth is higher at 51.2 GB/s. Unlike the Intel part, this AMD chip supports ECC memory. It uses Radeon Vega 6 integrated graphics and PCIe Gen 3 connectivity, though the lane count is not specified as CPU-only. Launched on 2020-07-20, it remains in active production.

The architectural split is clear: Intel offers more physical cores and a higher boost clock, while AMD counters with a smaller process node, simultaneous multithreading, larger L2 cache, greater memory bandwidth, ECC support, and a much lower TDP. The Intel part occupies the older Coffee Lake generation with a 14 nm node, whereas the AMD chip belongs to the 4000 series with Zen 2 architecture on 7 nm. Both processors have unlocked multipliers, so overclocking headroom exists on either side, though the thermal envelope differences are substantial.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Across all six recorded head-to-head benchmark tests, the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE wins every single one. The margin is remarkably consistent, hovering around 9.6% to 9.8% in each test.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD chip scores 961 against the Intel chip's 867, a 9.8% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows the same pattern: AMD scores 135, Intel scores 122, a 9.6% edge. Moving to Cinebench R20, the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE records 4006 multi-core versus 3616 for the Intel Core i5-8600K, a 9.7% gap. Single-core R20 follows with 565 against 510, again a 9.7% difference.

Cinebench R23, the most demanding of the suite, repeats the story. The AMD part scores 9540 multi-core and 1346 single-core, while the Intel part scores 8611 and 1215 respectively. Both deltas sit at 9.7%. The consistency of these margins across different Cinebench versions suggests a stable performance relationship rather than a workload-specific quirk.

It is worth remembering the Intel Core i5-8600K holds a physical core advantage of 6 cores versus 4, and it also has a higher boost clock of 4.30 GHz versus 4.00 GHz. Yet the benchmark data shows the AMD chip ahead in every measured scenario. The likely explanation lies in the architectural differences: the AMD chip's 7 nm process, simultaneous multithreading, larger L2 cache per core, and higher memory bandwidth collectively overcome the Intel chip's raw core count and clock speed advantages.

The average benchmark score in the database tells a similar story, though with a much smaller gap. The Intel Core i5-8600K averages 2807 across all recorded benchmarks, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE averages 2759. That puts the Intel chip slightly ahead in the aggregate, but the head-to-head Cinebench results favor AMD. The percentile rankings are effectively tied: Intel sits at the 51st percentile of all CPUs, AMD at the 50th.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The Intel Core i5-8600K has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks are 3.60 GHz for Intel and 3.50 GHz for AMD. Boost clocks are 4.30 GHz for Intel and 4.00 GHz for AMD. TDP is 95 watts for Intel versus 35 watts for AMD.

The socket and platform differ completely: Intel uses Socket 1151, AMD uses Socket AM4. Architecture and process node also diverge, with Coffee Lake on 14 nm for Intel and Zen 2 (Renoir) on 7 nm for AMD. The foundry is Intel for the i5-8600K and TSMC for the Ryzen 3 4300GE. The AMD chip has recorded transistor and die size figures of 9,800 million and 156 mm², while the Intel chip has no recorded values for either.

Cache layouts differ in L2 and L3. Both have 64 KB L1 per core, but L2 is 256 KB per core on Intel versus 512 KB per core on AMD. L3 is 9 MB shared on Intel versus 4 MB shared on AMD. Memory bandwidth favors AMD at 51.2 GB/s versus 42.7 GB/s. ECC memory support is absent on Intel and present on AMD. Integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 630 on Intel and Radeon Vega 6 on AMD.

The PCIe implementation differs: Intel specifies Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while AMD simply lists Gen 3 without lane count details. Release dates are far apart, with Intel launching on 2017-10-04 and AMD on 2020-07-20. Production status differs as well, with Intel end-of-life and AMD active. The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $257, while the AMD chip has no recorded launch MSRP. Both processors have unlocked multipliers, and both support DDR4 dual-channel memory.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE wins in every head-to-head Cinebench test recorded in the database. Its margins range from 9.6% to 9.8% across multi-core and single-core workloads in R15, R20, and R23. This makes it the clear choice for rendering workloads, CPU-bound productivity tasks, and any application that scales with Cinebench-style performance. The AMD chip also wins on power efficiency, with a TDP of 35 watts versus 95 watts, meaning it delivers higher benchmark scores while consuming less than half the thermal envelope. It also offers ECC memory support, which matters for systems requiring error-correcting memory.

The Intel Core i5-8600K does not win any of the six head-to-head benchmark tests, but the aggregate database average tells a slightly different story. Its average benchmark score of 2807 edges out the AMD chip's 2759, and it sits at the 51st percentile versus the 50th. The Intel chip has more physical cores (6 versus 4) and a higher boost clock (4.30 GHz versus 4.00 GHz). For workloads that favor raw core count without hyperthreading scaling, or for users who specifically need Intel's platform features, the extra two physical cores remain relevant. The Intel part also has a larger shared L3 cache of 9 MB versus 4 MB, which can benefit certain cache-sensitive workloads.

In terms of platform longevity, the AMD chip is still in active production, while the Intel chip is end-of-life. The AMD part also integrates Radeon Vega 6 graphics, which may offer different multimedia capabilities compared to Intel's UHD Graphics 630, though the database does not include iGPU benchmark scores for direct comparison.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous in the head-to-head comparison: the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE outperforms the Intel Core i5-8600K in every recorded Cinebench test, with consistent margins of about 9.7%. It achieves this while consuming roughly one-third the TDP (35 watts versus 95 watts), supporting ECC memory, and remaining in active production. For users running Cinebench-style workloads, rendering tasks, or multithreaded productivity applications, the AMD chip is the stronger choice based on measured performance.

The Intel Core i5-8600K retains a few structural advantages: more physical cores, a higher boost clock, a larger L3 cache, and a slightly higher aggregate average benchmark score (2807 versus 2759). It also has a recorded launch MSRP of $257, whereas the AMD chip has no recorded launch MSRP. Users who specifically need six physical cores, Intel's Coffee Lake platform, or who prefer the higher boost frequency may find the Intel part suitable, particularly in scenarios that do not scale with the AMD chip's simultaneous multithreading.

However, the recorded data shows no benchmark category where the Intel chip wins directly. The AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE leads in all six head-to-head tests, ties the Intel chip in percentile ranking at roughly the 50th to 51st percentile, and does so with dramatically lower power consumption. For new system builds, the active production status of the AMD chip is a practical consideration, as the Intel part is end-of-life. Based strictly on the measurements in the database, the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE is the better-performing processor in Cinebench workloads, while the Intel Core i5-8600K offers more physical cores and a higher clock ceiling that may appeal to specific use cases.