AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 vs Intel Core i3-10305 Comparison

The Intel Core i3-10305 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 are both 4-core, 8-thread desktop processors that land in the same performance tier, yet they achieve that status through very different designs. The benchmark data shows a remarkably consistent, if narrow, advantage for the Intel part across every single Cinebench test, with the Ryzen chip trailing by less than one percent in each instance. This is a head-to-head where the aggregate scores are nearly identical, but the margins, however slim, always favor one side.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking aspect of this comparison is the uniformity of the results. The Intel Core i3-10305 wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but never by a margin larger than 0.9%. In the multi-core tests, the Intel chip scores 788 in Cinebench R15 against the AMD’s 782, a delta of 0.8%. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where the Intel part posts 3287 versus 3261, again a 0.8% lead, and in R23, where it scores 7828 to the Ryzen 5 PRO 1500’s 7766, another 0.8% margin.

The single-core results tell the same story with slightly larger deltas. The Intel processor takes Cinebench R15 single-core with a score of 111 against the AMD’s 110, a 0.9% advantage. It also leads in R20 single-core, 464 to 460, and in R23 single-core, 1105 to 1096, both also representing a 0.9% difference. The data suggests that the Intel chip’s higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz, compared to the AMD’s 3.70 GHz, translates into a consistent, albeit small, performance edge across rendering workloads.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this near-parity. The Intel Core i3-10305 has an average benchmark score of 2264, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 sits at 2246. Both processors occupy the 47th percentile among all CPUs, indicating they are positioned identically in the broader performance landscape. The nearest rival lists further contextualize this tie; the Intel chip is 0.8% faster than the AMD part, while the AMD chip is 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i7-10710U. These are margins that would be imperceptible in real-world use, yet they are consistent across all tested workloads.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs represent starkly different design philosophies from their respective manufacturers. The Intel Core i3-10305 is built on the Comet Lake architecture, specifically the Comet Lake-R refresh, using a 14 nm process node fabricated by Intel. It features 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, with a shared 8 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and includes integrated UHD Graphics 630. The chip is not multiplier unlocked, meaning it is locked for overclocking, and it uses the Intel Socket 1200.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, meanwhile, is a first-generation Zen part, codenamed Summit Ridge, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on the same 14 nm process. It also has 4 cores and 8 threads, but its clocks are lower: 3.50 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The cache layout differs significantly, with a larger 96 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, plus a much larger 16 MB shared L3 cache. The AMD part uses a dual-channel DDR4 memory bus but has no listed memory bandwidth figure in the data. It lacks integrated graphics, so a discrete GPU is required. Crucially, the AMD chip is multiplier unlocked, allowing for overclocking, a feature the Intel part does not have. The AMD chip is also the older design, having been released in June 2017, while the Intel part arrived in March 2021.

One notable difference is the transistor count and die size. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is listed with 4,800 million transistors on a 192 mm² die, data that is not available for the Intel part. This suggests a more complex physical design for the AMD chip, potentially contributing to its larger L3 cache. The Intel part relies on a smaller 8 MB L3 cache, but its higher clock speeds appear to compensate in benchmark scores.

The Verdict

From the benchmark data alone, the Intel Core i3-10305 is the faster processor. It wins every single Cinebench test, both single-core and multi-core, by margins ranging from 0.8% to 0.9%. Its average benchmark score of 2264 is higher than the AMD’s 2246, and it holds a 0.8% advantage in the direct comparison. If raw performance in rendering workloads is the sole criterion, the Intel chip is the clear, if narrow, winner.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, however, is not without its merits. It matches the Intel part in core and thread count, and it offers a significantly larger L3 cache at 16 MB versus 8 MB. It also has an unlocked multiplier, which means users who are willing to overclock could potentially close the performance gap or even surpass the Intel part’s stock scores. The Intel chip’s higher boost clock gives it an edge out of the box, but the AMD part’s overclocking headroom is a tangible feature that the data cannot quantify. For a user who values overclocking capability, the AMD part is the more flexible choice. For a user who wants the best stock performance without manual tuning, the Intel part is the safer pick.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i3-10305 has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz.

Q: In which test does the Intel chip have its largest lead over the AMD chip?

A: The Intel chip’s largest lead is in the single-core tests, where it wins by 0.9% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. Its lead in multi-core tests is consistently 0.8%.

Q: Do both processors support overclocking?

A: No. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable, while the Intel Core i3-10305 is not multiplier unlocked.

Q: How do the two processors compare in terms of L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 has a significantly larger shared L3 cache at 16 MB, while the Intel Core i3-10305 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i3-10305 has an average benchmark score of 2264, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 has an average score of 2246, giving the Intel part an 18-point advantage.

Q: Do these processors have integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Core i3-10305 includes UHD Graphics 630, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 has no integrated graphics listed in the data.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i3-10305 wins in every benchmark category tested. It is ahead in both single-core and multi-core Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 workloads. The data shows a 0.8% lead in all multi-core tests and a 0.9% lead in all single-core tests. This means that for any workload that relies on CPU rendering, such as 3D modeling or video encoding, the Intel chip will deliver slightly better performance out of the box. Its higher boost clock gives it an edge in lightly threaded tasks, while its competitive multi-core scores ensure it keeps pace in heavily threaded scenarios.

The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 does not win any benchmark in this dataset, but it has qualitative advantages that the benchmarks do not capture. Its unlocked multiplier allows for overclocking, which is a potential source of performance that the Intel part cannot offer. Its larger 16 MB L3 cache could also be beneficial in workloads that are sensitive to cache capacity, even if that advantage does not manifest in the Cinebench results. For a user who is willing to tweak settings, the AMD part offers a path to performance parity or better. For a user who simply wants to install a processor and run it at stock settings, the Intel part is the better choice based on the data.