AMD Ryzen 3 8300G vs Intel Core 5 120U Comparison

The Intel Core 5 120U and AMD Ryzen 3 8300G are both active processors released on the same date, but they occupy completely different corners of the market. The Intel chip is a 10-core mobile part designed for thin-and-light laptops, while the AMD chip is a 4-core desktop processor built for performance. Benchmark results show a clear split: Intel dominates in most individual workload tests, but AMD wins the most important multi-core rendering benchmark by a massive margin. The data indicates that the choice between these two comes down to whether you prioritize sustained all-core throughput or a wider range of single-threaded and math-heavy tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head data is the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, where the AMD Ryzen 3 8300G scores 12217 against the Intel Core 5 120U’s 6659. That is a 45.5% deficit for Intel, making this the single largest performance gap between the two processors. This result flips the expected narrative: despite having 10 cores and 12 threads versus AMD’s 4 cores and 8 threads, Intel falls far behind in this sustained all-core workload. The Ryzen 3 8300G also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core, scoring 1231 versus 1150.5, a 6.5% margin.

However, Intel wins the other multi-core tests. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, Intel scores 5349 against AMD’s 5131, a 4.2% advantage. PassMark multi-thread also goes to Intel, with 15042 versus 14018, a 7.3% lead. This suggests that the AMD chip’s advantage in R23 is workload-specific rather than a universal multi-core superiority. The PassMark suite shows Intel winning data compression (166432 vs 158952, 4.7% ahead), data encryption (10453 vs 9115, 14.7% ahead), and integer math (52280 vs 40534, 29% ahead). The margin in integer math is particularly decisive.

The single-core results are more evenly split. Intel wins Cinebench R15 single-core by a huge 41.6% margin, scoring 245 versus AMD’s 173. That is an outlier result, as the other single-core tests are much closer. Intel edges out AMD in Cinebench R20 single-core (755 vs 724, 4.3% ahead) and Cinebench R23 single-core (1756.5 vs 1724, 1.9% ahead). But AMD takes the PassMark single-thread test, scoring 3778 versus Intel’s 3479, a 7.9% lead. This inconsistency points to different optimization patterns in the benchmark suites.

In specialized workloads, Intel wins floating point math decisively, scoring 36026 versus 25336, a 42.2% advantage. Intel also wins physics (937 vs 755, 24.1% ahead) and prime number finding (53 vs 47, 12.8% ahead). AMD’s only other win besides multi-core R23 and PassMark single-thread is extended instructions, where AMD scores 12354 versus Intel’s 9299, a 24.7% lead. The random string sorting test is essentially a tie, with Intel scoring 19060 and AMD 19013, a 0.2% difference. Overall, Intel wins 12 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks, while AMD wins 5.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear verdict: pick the AMD Ryzen 3 8300G if you need maximum sustained multi-core performance in rendering workloads, as evidenced by its 45.5% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core. This is not a small margin; it is a dominant victory that will translate to significantly faster video rendering, 3D modeling, and other heavily threaded content creation tasks. The AMD chip also offers better single-thread performance in the PassMark suite, with a 7.9% lead, which matters for lightly threaded applications that rely on peak clock speed.

Pick the Intel Core 5 120U if you need a more balanced processor that wins a wider variety of benchmarks. Intel’s 12 wins out of 17 tests include large margins in floating point math (42.2%), integer math (29%), physics (24.1%), and data encryption (14.7%). This makes Intel the better choice for scientific computing, financial modeling, and any workload that stresses arithmetic operations. Intel also wins the older Cinebench R20 multi-core test by 4.2%, showing that its multi-core advantage is not entirely absent. For a mobile processor, the Intel chip punches above its weight in most tests, while the AMD chip is a desktop part that excels in one specific but important area.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story: AMD scores 18169, slightly ahead of Intel’s 17898, a difference of about 1.5%. Both processors sit in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, indicating they are closely matched overall. The Intel Core 5 120U’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT, which scores 17891, and the Intel Core 7 350, which scores 17779. The AMD Ryzen 3 8300G’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and Intel Core i7-1365U, both scoring around 18176-18177. This confirms that both chips compete in a similar performance tier, despite their architectural differences.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The Intel Core 5 120U uses Raptor Lake architecture (specifically Raptor Lake-U) on a 10 nm process from Intel’s own foundry. The AMD Ryzen 3 8300G uses Zen 4 architecture (codename Phoenix2) on a 4 nm process from TSMC. The AMD chip has 20,900 million transistors on a 137 mm² die, while Intel does not list transistor count or die size in the data.

The core configurations are starkly different. Intel has 10 cores and 12 threads, while AMD has 4 cores and 8 threads. This means Intel relies on a hybrid core design to achieve its thread count, while AMD uses fewer but likely faster cores. The cache hierarchy also differs: Intel has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. AMD has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Intel’s larger L3 cache may help in some workloads, but AMD’s smaller cache is compensated by a higher base clock.

The base and boost clocks favor AMD. The Ryzen 3 8300G has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, while the Intel Core 5 120U has a base clock of 1.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Intel’s much lower base clock is typical for a low-power mobile chip, but its boost clock is slightly higher. The TDP difference is enormous: Intel runs at 15 watts, while AMD runs at 65 watts. This explains why AMD can sustain higher performance in multi-core workloads, as it has more power budget to work with.

Memory support also differs. Intel supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while AMD supports only DDR5. Both use a dual-channel memory bus, but AMD lists a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while Intel does not specify a bandwidth figure. AMD also supports ECC memory, which Intel does not. The PCIe configurations differ as well: Intel has Gen 4 with 8 lanes (CPU only), while AMD has Gen 4 with 14 lanes (CPU only). The integrated graphics are different: Intel uses Iris Xe Graphics 80EU, while AMD uses Radeon 740M.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is better for multi-core rendering?

A: The AMD Ryzen 3 8300G is significantly better, winning Cinebench R23 multi-core by 45.5% with a score of 12217 versus Intel’s 6659. It also wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 6.5%.

Q: Does the Intel chip win any multi-core tests?

A: Yes. Intel wins Cinebench R20 multi-core by 4.2% (5349 vs 5131) and PassMark multi-thread by 7.3% (15042 vs 14018).

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core 5 120U has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 3 8300G has a boost clock of 4.90 GHz.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core 5 120U has a TDP of 15 watts, while the AMD Ryzen 3 8300G has a TDP of 65 watts. This is a 50-watt difference.

Q: Do both processors support DDR5 memory?

A: Yes, both support DDR5. However, Intel also supports DDR4, while AMD supports only DDR5. AMD also adds ECC memory support, which Intel lacks.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 120U has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 8300G has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 3 8300G wins in sustained multi-core rendering workloads, specifically Cinebench R23 multi-core where its 45.5% lead is decisive. It also wins in extended instruction workloads, scoring 12354 versus Intel’s 9299, a 24.7% margin. This makes AMD the better choice for video encoding, 3D rendering, and SIMD-heavy scientific applications. AMD also wins the PassMark single-thread test by 7.9%, making it slightly better for single-threaded applications that depend on high clock speeds.

The Intel Core 5 120U wins in almost every other category. Its 42.2% lead in floating point math (36026 vs 25336) and 29% lead in integer math (52280 vs 40534) make it ideal for financial modeling, physics simulations, and general arithmetic workloads. Intel also wins data compression by 4.7%, data encryption by 14.7%, and prime number finding by 12.8%. The physics test goes to Intel by 24.1%, and the PassMark multi-thread test by 7.3%. For a mobile processor, Intel’s breadth of wins is impressive, covering everything from legacy single-core tests (Cinebench R15 single-core, 41.6% ahead) to modern multi-core tests (Cinebench R20 multi-core, 4.2% ahead).

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification. The Intel Core 5 120U has 10 cores and 12 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 3 8300G has 4 cores and 8 threads. The base clocks are 1.40 GHz for Intel and 3.40 GHz for AMD, while the boost clocks are 5.00 GHz for Intel and 4.90 GHz for AMD. The TDP is 15 watts for Intel and 65 watts for AMD. The process nodes are 10 nm (Intel) and 4 nm (TSMC) for AMD. The L1 cache is 80 KB per core for Intel and 64 KB per core for AMD; L2 is 1.25 MB per core for Intel and 1 MB per core for AMD; L3 is 12 MB shared for Intel and 8 MB shared for AMD. Memory support is DDR4 and DDR5 for Intel, DDR5 only for AMD. ECC memory is not supported on Intel but is supported on AMD. PCIe is Gen 4 with 8 lanes for Intel and Gen 4 with 14 lanes for AMD. Integrated graphics are Iris Xe Graphics 80EU for Intel and Radeon 740M for AMD. The sockets are Intel BGA 1744 and AMD Socket AM5. The transistor count and die size are listed only for AMD (20,900 million and 137 mm²). The AMD Ryzen 3 8300G has a launch MSRP of $176, while Intel does not list one.