Intel Arc G3 EXTREME vs Intel Core 5 330 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a decisive hierarchy between these two Intel mobile processors. The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME wins all 17 recorded head-to-head comparisons, with an average benchmark score of 36,699 versus 18,345 for the Intel Core 5 330. The Arc G3 EXTREME sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the Core 5 330 rests at the 72nd percentile. The Arc G3 EXTREME is the clear choice for workloads that demand sustained multi-threaded throughput, content creation, and data-intensive tasks. The Core 5 330, with its lower power envelope and single-channel memory, suits lighter portable systems where battery life and thermal restraint take priority over raw compute. The data shows no benchmark category where the Core 5 330 takes the lead, so the selection depends entirely on whether the workload justifies the Arc G3 EXTREME's substantial performance advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two processors share a 3 nm manufacturing node and Intel as the foundry, but their designs diverge sharply. The Arc G3 EXTREME belongs to the Panther Lake generation and uses the Intel BGA 2540 socket. It packs 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 1.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its thermal design power is 25 watts. The Core 5 330, part of the Wildcat Lake generation, uses the Intel BGA 1516 socket and offers 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 1.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its thermal design power is 15 watts.

Cache configurations also differ meaningfully. The Arc G3 EXTREME carries 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core 5 330 offers 192 KB of L1, 2.5 MB of L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. That three-fold difference in L3 capacity helps explain the Arc G3 EXTREME's dominance in data-heavy workloads.

Memory support further separates the two. The Arc G3 EXTREME supports LPDDR5X over a dual-channel bus, delivering 136.5 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The Core 5 330 supports both DDR5 and LPDDR5X, but only over a single-channel bus, yielding 59.7 GB/s. That is less than half the bandwidth of the Arc G3 EXTREME. The Core 5 330 also uses PCIe Gen 4 with 6 lanes, while the Arc G3 EXTREME uses PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes for the CPU. Both processors integrate graphics, with the Arc G3 EXTREME featuring Arc B390 graphics and the Core 5 330 featuring Intel Xe3 Graphics with 2 Xe cores. Neither chip supports ECC memory, and both have locked multipliers. The Arc G3 EXTREME was released on 2026-05-27, while the Core 5 330 launched earlier on 2026-04-15. The Core 5 330 has a launch MSRP of $309.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result appears in Cinebench R20 multicore, where the Arc G3 EXTREME scores 10,945 against 5,523 for the Core 5 330, a 98.2% advantage. Cinebench R20 single-core shows a similar gap: 1,545 versus 779, a 98.3% difference. These results indicate that the Arc G3 EXTREME's additional cores and higher clocks translate into near-double performance in heavily threaded rendering tasks, while even single-threaded workloads benefit from the higher boost clock and faster memory subsystem.

Cinebench R23 tells a more nuanced story. The multicore score favors the Arc G3 EXTREME by 11.4%, with 14,655 versus 13,150. The single-core difference narrows to just 0.3%, with 1,862 versus 1,856. The R23 results suggest that the Core 5 330 closes the gap in sustained single-thread performance, likely due to the similar 4.60 GHz boost clock, but the Arc G3 EXTREME still retains a decisive edge in multi-threaded rendering.

PassMark results amplify the multicore theme. The Arc G3 EXTREME leads data compression by 111.4%, scoring 307,094 versus 145,287. Data encryption shows a 115.6% advantage, 23,881 versus 11,076. Extended instructions favor the Arc G3 EXTREME by 87.5%, 24,017 versus 12,808. Floating point math delivers 86,929 versus 43,885, a 98.1% edge. Integer math follows with 71,164 versus 33,258, a 114% advantage. The find prime numbers test shows the largest relative gap at 117.5%, with 248 versus 114. Physics scores 2,515 versus 1,201, a 109.4% lead. Random string sorting lands at 37,331 versus 17,771, up 110.1%. The multithread score reaches 30,659 versus 15,471, a 98.2% advantage. The single-thread score narrows to a 5% lead, 4,293 versus 4,088.

The pattern is consistent. Every workload type, from memory-bound compression to compute-heavy physics, shows the Arc G3 EXTREME ahead by significant margins. The smallest differences appear in single-threaded tests, while the largest gaps emerge in tasks that exploit parallel cores and memory bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME has 14 cores and 14 threads. The Intel Core 5 330 has 6 cores and 6 threads.

Q: How do the Cinebench R23 multicore scores compare?

A: The Arc G3 EXTREME scores 14,655, which is 11.4% higher than the Core 5 330's 13,150.

Q: What memory bandwidth does each processor support?

A: The Arc G3 EXTREME supports LPDDR5X over dual-channel memory with 136.5 GB/s. The Core 5 330 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X over single-channel memory with 59.7 GB/s.

Q: How large is the L3 cache on each processor?

A: The Arc G3 EXTREME has 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The Core 5 330 has 6 MB of shared L3 cache.

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

A: The Arc G3 EXTREME has a TDP of 25 watts. The Core 5 330 has a TDP of 15 watts.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Arc G3 EXTREME boosts to 4.70 GHz, while the Core 5 330 boosts to 4.60 GHz.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc G3 EXTREME wins in every recorded benchmark category. Its largest advantages, exceeding 100%, appear in data compression, data encryption, find prime numbers, integer math, physics, and random string sorting. These are workloads that rely heavily on parallel execution and memory throughput. The dual-channel LPDDR5X memory at 136.5 GB/s gives the Arc G3 EXTREME a structural advantage in any task that streams large data sets. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache further reduces memory traffic for frequently accessed data, which helps explain the 111.4% lead in data compression and the 115.6% lead in data encryption.

The Intel Core 5 330 wins nowhere in the head-to-head data, but its profile still defines a useful role. The 15-watt TDP, 10 watts lower than the Arc G3 EXTREME, makes it suitable for fanless or low-thermal designs where sustained performance is secondary to power consumption. The single-channel memory at 59.7 GB/s limits memory-bound workloads, but the processor still manages a respectable 4,088 single-thread score, only 5% behind the Arc G3 EXTREME. The R23 single-core result of 1,856 trails by just 0.3%, indicating that the Core 5 330 can handle everyday responsiveness and lightly threaded applications without a meaningful penalty.

For multi-threaded productivity, rendering, and data processing, the Arc G3 EXTREME is the only reasonable pick from the data. The 98.2% lead in R20 multicore and the 98.2% lead in PassMark multithread show that the extra 8 cores and the higher memory bandwidth deliver roughly double the throughput in parallel workloads. For basic office tasks, web browsing, and media consumption where the workload rarely exceeds a few threads, the Core 5 330's lower power draw and lower launch MSRP of $309 make it a viable alternative, though the benchmark data shows it sacrifices significant performance in exchange. The Arc G3 EXTREME, by contrast, occupies the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the Core 5 330 sits at the 72nd percentile, placing the two chips in different performance tiers entirely.