AMD Ryzen 3 4300U vs Intel Core i7-990X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head results show a clear split: the Intel Core i7-990X dominates multi-threaded rendering workloads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U wins decisively in single-threaded and Geekbench tests. Across the six shared benchmarks, the AMD part takes four wins to Intel's two.

Starting with the largest margin of victory, the Ryzen 3 4300U leads by 130.4% in Geekbench single-core, scoring 1281 against the i7-990X's 556. This is not a marginal difference; the AMD chip more than doubles the Intel processor's score in this test. The same pattern appears in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the Ryzen 3 4300U scores 163.9 versus 86 for the i7-990X, a 90.6% advantage. The architectural gap between a 2020 Zen 2 mobile part and a 2011 Westmere desktop part is most visible here, as clock-for-clock IPC improvements and the newer process node translate directly into single-thread performance.

The Ryzen 3 4300U also wins Geekbench multi-core by 45.4%, scoring 3798 against 2612. This result is notable because the Intel chip has 12 threads to the AMD's 4, yet the AMD part still pulls ahead. The 32 nm Gulftown design, despite its thread count advantage, cannot match the efficiency of the 7 nm Renoir silicon in this workload. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the AMD chip scores 1074 versus 857, a 25.3% win, reinforcing the single-thread dominance.

The Intel Core i7-990X takes the multi-core Cinebench tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 6071 against 3571, a 41.2% lead for Intel. The 12-thread configuration provides substantial scaling in this render workload that the 4-thread Ryzen cannot match. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Intel part scores 611 versus 562.5, a smaller 7.9% margin, but still a win.

The database also records an additional Intel-only result: Cinebench R20 multi-core at 2549 and single-core at 359. No comparable AMD R20 scores exist in the records, so these serve as reference points only. The overall average benchmark score tells a similar story: the Ryzen 3 4300U sits at 1742, while the i7-990X averages 1713, a 1.7% gap in favor of AMD. Both parts land in the 40th percentile of all CPUs, with the AMD at 41 and the Intel at 40.

The Verdict

The data points to two very different usage profiles. For anyone running heavily threaded render workloads in Cinebench, the Intel Core i7-990X is the clear choice. Its 41.2% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core is substantial, and the 7.9% win in R15 multi-core confirms the pattern. The six physical cores and twelve threads provide real scaling that a four-core, four-thread part cannot replicate, regardless of architectural efficiency.

For everything else, the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U is the better performer. The 130.4% lead in Geekbench single-core and 90.6% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core show that day-to-day responsiveness, application launching, and lightly threaded workloads will feel significantly faster on the AMD chip. The 45.4% win in Geekbench multi-core is particularly telling: even in a multi-threaded test, the Ryzen 3 4300U outperforms the i7-990X because its per-core performance is so much higher that it overcomes the thread deficit.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this split. At 1742 versus 1713, the Ryzen 3 4300U holds a slight overall edge, but the percentile ranking (41 versus 40) puts both parts in the same broad performance class. The choice comes down to workload: render farms and heavily parallel compute favor the Intel, while general use, productivity, and single-threaded applications favor the AMD.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent completely different eras of silicon design. The AMD Ryzen 3 4300U uses the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It integrates 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die. The Intel Core i7-990X uses the Westmere architecture, codenamed Gulftown, fabricated on Intel's 32 nm process with 1,170 million transistors on a 239 mm² die. The transistor density difference is enormous: the AMD die is smaller yet packs over eight times as many transistors.

Core and thread configurations differ significantly. The Ryzen 3 4300U has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.70 GHz and boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The i7-990X has 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base of 3.47 GHz and boost of 3.73 GHz. Despite the Intel chip's higher base clock and thread count, the AMD part wins most benchmarks, indicating the Zen 2 IPC advantage over Westmere is substantial.

Cache hierarchies reflect their respective designs. Both use 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 differs: the Ryzen 3 4300U has 512 KB per core, while the i7-990X has 256 KB per core. The L3 cache is a different story. The Intel chip has 12 MB of shared L3, while the AMD part has 4 MB shared. The larger Intel L3 helps in some multi-threaded scenarios, but the AMD's faster per-core performance compensates in most tests.

Memory support diverges sharply. The Ryzen 3 4300U supports DDR4 and LPDDR4 in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The i7-990X supports DDR3 in a triple-channel configuration, with no recorded bandwidth figure in the database. The newer memory standard and higher bandwidth give the AMD part a clear advantage in memory-intensive workloads.

Other architectural differences include PCIe generation (Gen 3 on the AMD versus Gen 2 on the Intel), integrated graphics (the Ryzen 3 4300U includes Radeon Graphics with 320 shader processors, while the i7-990X has none), and socket compatibility (AMD Socket FP6 versus Intel Socket 1366). The Intel chip has an unlocked multiplier, while the AMD part does not. The Ryzen 3 4300U is a 15 W mobile part, while the i7-990X is a 130 W desktop part, reflecting their different market segments: mobile versus desktop. The AMD processor remains active in production, while the Intel chip is end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 4300U wins all recorded single-core tests. It leads by 90.6% in Cinebench R15 single-core (163.9 versus 86), by 25.3% in Cinebench R23 single-core (1074 versus 857), and by 130.4% in Geekbench single-core (1281 versus 556).

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-990X have more cores and threads?

A: Yes. The i7-990X has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 4300U has 4 cores and 4 threads. The Intel chip also has a higher base clock (3.47 GHz versus 2.70 GHz) and a slightly higher boost clock (3.73 GHz versus 3.70 GHz).

Q: How do the two compare in multi-core rendering benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-990X wins Cinebench multi-core tests. It scores 611 versus 562.5 in R15 multi-core (a 7.9% lead) and 6071 versus 3571 in R23 multi-core (a 41.2% lead). However, the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U wins Geekbench multi-core 3798 versus 2612, a 45.4% margin.

Q: Which processor has a smaller manufacturing process?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 4300U is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core i7-990X uses a 32 nm process at Intel. The AMD chip also has a smaller die size (156 mm² versus 239 mm²) despite containing far more transistors (9,800 million versus 1,170 million).

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. Neither the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U nor the Intel Core i7-990X supports ECC memory according to the database records.

Q: What is the market segment for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 4300U is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP, released in 2020. The Intel Core i7-990X is a desktop processor with a 130 W TDP, released in 2011. The Intel chip is end-of-life, while the AMD chip remains active in production.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 3 4300U wins in single-threaded workloads across the board. The 130.4% Geekbench single-core lead and 90.6% Cinebench R15 single-core lead make it the superior choice for applications that rely on one or two cores: web browsing, office productivity, light coding, and general desktop responsiveness. The 25.3% Cinebench R23 single-core win confirms this holds even in newer, more demanding single-threaded tests. The 45.4% Geekbench multi-core win also suggests the AMD chip handles mixed workloads better, where thread scaling is limited and per-core speed matters more.

The AMD part also wins on efficiency. At 15 W versus 130 W, the Ryzen 3 4300U delivers competitive or better performance in most tests while consuming a fraction of the power. The integrated Radeon Graphics with 320 shader processors means the AMD chip offers a complete platform solution for mobile systems, while the Intel chip requires a separate graphics card.

The Intel Core i7-990X wins in heavily multi-threaded render workloads. The 41.2% Cinebench R23 multi-core lead and 7.9% Cinebench R15 multi-core lead make it the choice for CPU rendering, video encoding, and other workloads that scale well across 12 threads. The 12 MB of L3 cache and triple-channel DDR3 memory support also help in large dataset scenarios where cache capacity matters.

The Intel chip also wins on overclocking flexibility. With an unlocked multiplier, users can push the i7-990X beyond its 3.73 GHz boost clock, potentially closing the single-core gap in some scenarios. The Ryzen 3 4300U has no unlocked multiplier, limiting its tuning potential.

In summary: choose the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U for general computing, single-threaded performance, efficiency, and mobile use. Choose the Intel Core i7-990X for multi-threaded render workloads, large L3 cache benefits, and overclocking headroom. The average benchmark scores place them within 1.7% of each other overall, but the workload distribution could not be more different.