CPU Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which chip wins more head-to-head benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core 3 304 wins 11 of 17 head-to-head tests, while the Core i5-10400 wins 6. However, the i5-10400 takes the overall average benchmark crown with a 14037 average score versus 13745 for the Core 3 304, a gap of roughly 2.1%.

Q: Is the Core 3 304 faster in single-threaded work?

A: Yes, decisively. The Core 3 304 leads by 55.3% in Cinebench R15 single-core (264 vs 118), by 16% in R20 single-core (587 vs 493), by 33.5% in R23 single-core (1765 vs 1174), and by 29.2% in Passmark single-thread (3614 vs 2560).

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

A: It depends on the benchmark generation. The i5-10400 dominates Cinebench R23 multi-core with 8316 versus 5263, a 58% lead. However, the Core 3 304 wins R20 multi-core (4160 vs 3492, a 16.1% margin) and R15 multi-core (849 vs 838, a 1.3% edge). Passmark multithread slightly favors the i5-10400 at 12006 vs 11625 (3.3% ahead).

Q: How do their average scores compare to rival CPUs?

A: The i5-10400 (avg 14037) sits within 1% of the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115) and Intel Xeon 6756E (14163), and is 0.7% above the AMD EPYC 7443 (13936). The Core 3 304 (avg 13745) is 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13786), 0.9% behind the Intel Core i7-8750H (13868), and 1.1% ahead of the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594).

Q: What are the socket and form factor differences?

A: The i5-10400 uses Intel Socket 1200 and is a desktop part. The Core 3 304 uses Intel BGA 1516 and is a mobile part. The Core 3 304 has a launch MSRP of $309; the i5-10400 has no listed MSRP.

Q: Which CPU has better memory bandwidth on paper?

A: The Core 3 304 lists 59.7 GB/s memory bandwidth with DDR5/LPDDR5X support, but it is single-channel. The i5-10400 lists 42.7 GB/s with dual-channel DDR4. Despite the lower peak bandwidth, the i5-10400’s dual-channel configuration provides more balanced throughput for multi-threaded loads.

The Verdict

From the data, these are two very different chips disguised as similar average performers. Both sit at the 68th percentile versus all CPUs, and their average scores are within 2.1% of each other. But the benchmark split tells a clear story: the Core 3 304 is a single-thread and lightly-threaded monster, while the i5-10400 is the heavy-lifting multi-core workhorse.

Pick the Intel Core 3 304 if your workloads are single-thread-bound, latency-sensitive, or short-burst. It wins all four single-thread benchmarks by margins from 16% to 55.3%. It also crushes the i5-10400 in encryption (8501 vs 4078, a 52% lead), prime number finding (68 vs 34, a 50% lead), physics simulation (868 vs 669, a 22.9% lead), and floating-point math (29722 vs 26080, a 12.3% lead). Its 3nm process and 15W TDP make it a clear choice for power-constrained mobile designs.

Pick the Intel Core i5-10400 if you need sustained multi-core throughput. It wins integer math by 69.3% (41715 vs 24640), random string sorting by 69.9% (23206 vs 13659), data compression by 63.1% (187207 vs 114775), and extended instructions by 29.1% (12501 vs 9686). Its 6-core/12-thread setup with 12MB L3 gives it a 58% lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the most modern heavy multi-thread test in this comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest single-thread win for the Core 3 304 is Cinebench R15 single-core: 264 versus 118, a 55.3% advantage. That is not a small margin; it is a generational jump in per-core efficiency. The same pattern holds in Passmark single-thread, where the Core 3 304 scores 3614 to the i5-10400’s 2560, a 29.2% lead. Cinebench R23 single-core shows a 33.5% gap (1765 vs 1174), and R20 single-core shows a 16% gap (587 vs 493).

The i5-10400’s biggest win is Passmark random string sorting: 23206 versus 13659, a 69.9% margin. It also takes integer math by 69.3% (41715 vs 24640) and data compression by 63.1% (187207 vs 114775). In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-10400 posts 8316 versus 5263, a 58% lead, that is a sustained all-core workload where the extra cores and threads pay off.

The most interesting split is in multi-core Cinebench versions. The Core 3 304 wins R15 multi-core 849 to 838 (a slim 1.3% margin) and R20 multi-core 4160 to 3492 (a 16.1% margin). But then the i5-10400 wins R23 multi-core by 58%. This suggests the R23 test scales better with the i5-10400’s 12 threads, while the older R15 and R20 tests favor the Core 3 304’s higher per-core clock behavior.

In mixed workloads, the Core 3 304 wins encryption by 52% (8501 vs 4078) and floating-point math by 12.3% (29722 vs 26080). The i5-10400 wins extended instructions by 29.1% (12501 vs 9686) and multithread by 3.3% (12006 vs 11625). The physics test goes to the Core 3 304 by 22.9% (868 vs 669).

Specification Differences

The i5-10400 has 6 cores and 12 threads; the Core 3 304 has 5 cores and 5 threads, no hyper-threading on the mobile part. Base clocks differ dramatically: the i5-10400 runs at 2.90 GHz, while the Core 3 304 idles at 1.50 GHz. Both boost to 4.30 GHz, so peak single-core speed is identical on paper, yet the Core 3 304’s much higher single-thread scores show how much more work it does per clock.

TDP is a major separator: 65W for the i5-10400 versus 15W for the Core 3 304. The i5-10400 uses Intel Socket 1200 for desktop builds; the Core 3 304 uses Intel BGA 1516, meaning it is soldered and not upgradeable. The i5-10400 supports DDR4 dual-channel memory at 42.7 GB/s; the Core 3 304 supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X single-channel at 59.7 GB/s. PCIe also differs: the i5-10400 has Gen 3 with 16 lanes, while the Core 3 304 has Gen 4 with 6 lanes.

Integrated graphics differ: the i5-10400 carries UHD Graphics 630, while the Core 3 304 has Intel Xe3 Graphics (1 Xe). Neither supports ECC memory. The i5-10400 was released on 2020-04-29; the Core 3 304 is dated 2026-04-15. The Core 3 304 has a launch MSRP of $309.

Architecture Differences

The i5-10400 is built on Intel’s 14nm Comet Lake process, a mature desktop architecture with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its cache layout is per-core: 64 KB L1 per core and 256 KB L2 per core, with 12 MB shared L3. The Core 3 304 uses a 3nm Wildcat Lake process, a far denser node. Its cache is listed differently: 192 KB L1 total, 2.5 MB L2 total, and 6 MB shared L3, roughly half the L3 of the i5-10400.

The process node difference is stark: 14nm versus 3nm. That explains the TDP gap (65W vs 15W) and the single-thread performance gap. The Core 3 304’s 5 cores all run at a 1.50 GHz base but boost to 4.30 GHz, and the benchmark results show it sustains high single-core throughput. The i5-10400’s higher base clock of 2.90 GHz helps it in all-core sustained loads, where its 12 threads and larger L3 give it an advantage.

Memory architecture also diverges. The i5-10400 uses dual-channel DDR4, which is older but provides symmetric bandwidth for multi-threaded access. The Core 3 304 uses single-channel DDR5/LPDDR5X, which offers higher peak bandwidth (59.7 GB/s) but only one channel, a limitation for multi-threaded memory-heavy workloads, as evidenced by its lower compression and sorting scores.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 3 304 wins in any workload that is single-thread-bound or latency-sensitive. This includes most everyday desktop tasks, light gaming, and applications that rely on one or two fast cores. Its wins in Cinebench R15/R20 single-core, Passmark single-thread, encryption, prime number finding, physics, and floating-point math all point to a chip that excels at quick, bursty, and scalar operations. The 15W TDP and mobile socket make it ideal for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermals matter more than raw core counts.

The Intel Core i5-10400 wins in sustained multi-threaded workloads that can use 12 threads. Its victories in integer math, data compression, random string sorting, extended instructions, and Cinebench R23 multi-core show clear superiority in number-crunching, file compression, and parallel rendering. The 65W TDP and Socket 1200 platform make it a natural fit for budget desktops and workstations where power draw is less critical and upgradeability is desired.

For a desktop user building a system today, the i5-10400 offers more headroom for multi-threaded productivity and has 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes for GPUs and NVMe drives. For a mobile user, the Core 3 304 is the only viable option given its BGA 1516 socket, and its single-thread performance is genuinely class-leading in this comparison. The data does not show one chip as universally better; it shows two chips optimized for opposite ends of the performance spectrum. Choose based on your workload mix.