AMD Ryzen 7 260 vs Intel Core 3 304 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents an unambiguous hierarchy. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins all 15 recorded head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with no wins for the Intel Core 3 304. The AMD part sits at the 88th percentile of all CPUs in the database, while the Intel chip lands at the 68th percentile. The average benchmark score difference is substantial: 43,717 for the Ryzen 7 260 versus 13,745 for the Core 3 304.

The Ryzen 7 260 is the clear choice for any workload involving parallel processing, content creation, or data manipulation. Its margin of victory ranges from a narrow 0.3% in single-core Cinebench R23 to a dominant 292.6% in PassMark integer math. The Intel Core 3 304, with its 5 cores and 5 threads, is positioned as a low-power mobile processor, but the recorded data shows it cannot compete with the Ryzen 7 260 in any measured category.

For users who prioritize raw multi-threaded performance, the choice is the AMD Ryzen 7 260. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17,211.5 is more than three times the Intel's 5,263. The single-core results are closer, but the AMD still leads in every single-thread test, with a 4.7% advantage in Cinebench R15 and 3.4% in PassMark single-thread. The Intel Core 3 304 offers a lower TDP of 15 watts versus 45 watts for the AMD, which may matter for specific ultra-portable designs, but the performance data does not favor it anywhere.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher multi-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 scores 17,211.5 versus 5,263 for the Intel Core 3 304, a 227% advantage for the AMD part.

Q: Are the single-core performances similar?

A: They are close, but the AMD Ryzen 7 260 still wins all three single-core tests. It leads by 4.7% in Cinebench R15 (276.5 vs 264), 0.3% in Cinebench R23 (1,770.5 vs 1,765), and 3.4% in PassMark single-thread (3,736 vs 3,614).

Q: What is the difference in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has an average benchmark score of 43,717, while the Intel Core 3 304 averages 13,745. The AMD chip is in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, and the Intel chip is in the 68th percentile.

Q: How do their core and thread counts compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Core 3 304 has 5 cores and 5 threads, meaning it lacks simultaneous multithreading.

Q: Which processor has the larger L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 has 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel Core 3 304 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What memory configurations do the two support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 260 supports DDR5 over a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core 3 304 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X, but over a single-channel bus with a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 uses the Zen 4 architecture under the Hawk Point codename, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The transistor count is 25,000 million, and the die size is 178 mm². The Intel Core 3 304 uses the Wildcat Lake codename, built on a 3 nm process at Intel. No transistor count or die size is recorded for the Intel part.

The AMD processor has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel processor has 5 cores and 5 threads. The cache layouts differ significantly. The AMD part has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, with 16 MB of shared L3 cache. The Intel part has 192 KB of L1 cache, 2.5 MB of L2 cache, and 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

Memory architecture also differs. The AMD Ryzen 7 260 supports DDR5 over a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core 3 304 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X over a single-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. Neither processor supports ECC memory.

The integrated graphics differ: the AMD part uses the Radeon 780M, while the Intel part uses Intel Xe3 Graphics with 1 Xe core. PCIe connectivity also differs: the AMD processor provides Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel processor provides Gen 4 with 6 lanes (CPU only).

The release dates are recorded as January 5, 2025 for the AMD part and April 15, 2026 for the Intel part. Both are listed as Active in production status, and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The Intel part has a recorded launch MSRP of $309. The AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every recorded specification field.

Core and thread counts differ: 8 cores and 16 threads for the AMD Ryzen 7 260, versus 5 cores and 5 threads for the Intel Core 3 304.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The AMD part has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The Intel part has a base clock of 1.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz.

TDP differs by a factor of three: 45 watts for the AMD part, 15 watts for the Intel part.

Sockets differ: AMD Socket FP8 for the Ryzen 7 260, Intel BGA 1516 for the Core 3 304.

Process nodes differ: 4 nm TSMC for the AMD part, 3 nm Intel for the Intel part.

Cache configurations differ: per-core L1 and L2 for the AMD part (64 KB and 1 MB per core), aggregate figures for the Intel part (192 KB L1, 2.5 MB L2). L3 is 16 MB shared versus 6 MB shared.

Memory support differs: DDR5 dual-channel at 89.6 GB/s for the AMD part, DDR5 and LPDDR5X single-channel at 59.7 GB/s for the Intel part.

PCIe lanes differ: Gen 4 with 20 lanes for the AMD part, Gen 4 with 6 lanes for the Intel part.

Integrated graphics differ: Radeon 780M versus Intel Xe3 Graphics (1 Xe).

Part numbers differ: 100-000001724 for the AMD part, SAE3K for the Intel part.

The Intel part has a launch MSRP of $309; the AMD part has no launch MSRP recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins all 15 recorded head-to-head comparisons. The largest margin comes in PassMark integer math, where the AMD scores 96,737 versus 24,640 for the Intel, a 292.6% advantage. This is followed by Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the AMD scores 17,211.5 versus 5,263, a 227% lead. Cinebench R15 multi-core shows a 223.6% advantage, with scores of 2,747.5 against 849.

PassMark data compression favors the AMD part by 206.3%, with scores of 351,517 versus 114,775. Random string sorting shows a 210.3% advantage: 42,383 versus 13,659. Extended instructions scores are 26,544 versus 9,686, a 174% lead. PassMark multithread scores are 28,078 versus 11,625, a 141.5% advantage. Data encryption shows a 138.4% lead: 20,267 versus 8,501. Floating point math is 59,462 versus 29,722, a 100.1% advantage. PassMark physics scores are 1,218 versus 868, a 40.3% lead. Find prime numbers scores are 77 versus 68, a 13.2% advantage.

The closest margins are in the single-core tests. Cinebench R23 single-core shows only a 0.3% advantage for the AMD part: 1,770.5 versus 1,765. PassMark single-thread and singlethread scores both show a 3.4% advantage: 3,736 versus 3,614. Cinebench R15 single-core shows a 4.7% advantage: 276.5 versus 264.

The width of the multi-core gap reflects the core and thread count differences. The AMD part has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel part has 5 cores and 5 threads. The single-core results show that the Intel architecture is competitive in lightly threaded work, but the AMD part still wins every recorded test.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 260 wins in every recorded benchmark category, so the use-case split is defined by the degree of its advantage rather than by any Intel victory.

For multi-threaded rendering and content creation, the AMD part dominates. Cinebench R23 multi-core shows a 227% advantage, and Cinebench R15 multi-core shows a 223.6% advantage. Any workload that scales with cores and threads will strongly favor the AMD processor.

For integer-heavy computation, the AMD part shows its largest margin at 292.6% in PassMark integer math. Data compression and random string sorting also heavily favor the AMD part, with margins of 206.3% and 210.3% respectively. These results indicate a strong advantage in data processing and sorting tasks.

For floating point workloads, the AMD part leads by 100.1% in PassMark floating point math. The PassMark physics score favors the AMD part by 40.3%, a smaller margin but still decisive.

For security and encryption workloads, the AMD part leads by 138.4% in PassMark data encryption and by 174% in extended instructions.

For single-threaded responsiveness, the AMD part still wins, but the margin is narrow. The 0.3% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and the 3.4% lead in PassMark single-thread suggest that everyday lightly threaded tasks will feel similar on both processors, with a slight edge to the AMD part.

The Intel Core 3 304 does not win any recorded benchmark. Its lower TDP of 15 watts versus 45 watts for the AMD part is its only distinguishing advantage in the recorded data. The Intel part also has a recorded launch MSRP of $309, while the AMD part has no recorded launch MSRP. For workloads that are heavily multi-threaded, the AMD Ryzen 7 260 is the clear performer. For tasks that are purely single-threaded, the two processors are nearly equivalent, but the AMD part still leads.