Intel Core i3-4330 vs Intel Processor N100 Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Core i3-4330 and Intel Processor N100 serve completely different purposes, and the data makes that split clear. The i3-4330 is a desktop part from the Haswell generation, built for traditional socketed motherboards with dual-channel DDR3 memory. The N100 is a modern low-power mobile processor soldered onto BGA 1264, designed for compact, fanless or lightly cooled systems.

For users who need raw multi-threaded rendering performance in newer workloads, the i3-4330 wins. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 2966 beats the N100's 2559.5 by 15.9%. That is a meaningful margin for anyone doing sustained CPU rendering on a desktop.

For users who prioritize single-thread speed, efficiency, and modern features, the N100 is the clear choice. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 910.5 crushes the i3-4330's 418 by 54.1%. That is an enormous gap, and it shows up in everyday responsiveness, light productivity, and anything that relies on a single fast core.

The N100 also comes with a launch MSRP of $128, but the i3-4330 has no recorded launch price in the database. The N100 is the newer part by nearly a decade, has four physical cores instead of two, and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The i3-4330 is a legacy part with a 54W TDP and a 22nm process, while the N100 sips power at 6W on a 10nm node.

Pick the i3-4330 if you already have an LGA 1150 platform, need the extra multi-thread muscle in Cinebench R23, or want dual-channel memory bandwidth. Pick the N100 if you are building a low-power system, need modern memory support, or care about single-thread performance above all else. The N100 wins 2 out of 3 head-to-head benchmarks, but the i3-4330's one win is in the most demanding multi-core test.

Architecture Differences

The i3-4330 is built on Intel's Haswell architecture, which dates to the Core i3 Haswell generation. It uses a 22nm process node with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The N100 uses the Gracemont architecture from the Intel Processor Alder Lake-N generation, fabricated on a 10nm node. The database does not list transistor count or die size for the N100.

Core counts differ significantly. The i3-4330 has 2 cores and 4 threads, relying on Hyper-Threading to reach four logical processors. The N100 has 4 physical cores and 4 threads, with no Hyper-Threading. This means the N100 has double the physical core count, but the i3-4330's two cores each get a thread boost.

Cache layouts are also distinct. The i3-4330 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, with 4 MB of shared L3. The N100 has 96 KB of L1 per core, a shared 2 MB L2, and 6 MB of shared L3. The N100 offers more total L3 cache, but the i3-4330 has per-core L2 that may be faster for certain workloads.

Memory support is a major differentiator. The i3-4330 supports only DDR3 with a dual-channel memory bus. The N100 supports DDR4 and DDR5, but with a single-channel memory bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. The i3-4330 has no memory bandwidth figure in the database, so direct comparison is not possible, but the dual-channel vs single-channel split matters for memory-heavy tasks.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The i3-4330 pairs with Intel HD 4600, while the N100 includes UHD Graphics 730. Both parts support PCIe Gen 3, but the N100's PCIe is limited to 9 lanes from the CPU. The i3-4330's PCIe lane count is not listed.

The i3-4330 is a desktop part on Intel Socket 1150, released in 2013. The N100 is a mobile part on Intel BGA 1264, released in 2023, and its production status is listed as Active. The i3-4330's production status is not recorded. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has better multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-4330 wins in Cinebench R23 multi-core with a score of 2966, beating the N100's 2559.5 by 15.9%. However, in the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the N100 scores 401.5 versus the i3-4330's 298, a 25.8% advantage for the N100.

Q: Is the N100 much faster in single-core workloads?

A: Yes, significantly. The N100 scores 910.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while the i3-4330 scores just 418. That is a 54.1% lead for the N100, the largest gap in any head-to-head benchmark.

Q: Which CPU supports DDR5 memory?

A: Only the Intel Processor N100 supports DDR5, along with DDR4. The i3-4330 is limited to DDR3 with a dual-channel bus. The N100 uses a single-channel memory bus with a recorded bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s.

Q: How do their core counts compare?

A: The i3-4330 has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the N100 has 4 cores and 4 threads. The N100 has twice the physical cores, but the i3-4330 uses Hyper-Threading to reach the same thread count.

Q: Which processor is more power efficient?

A: The N100 has a TDP of 6W, far lower than the i3-4330's 54W. The N100 is also built on a smaller 10nm process compared to the i3-4330's 22nm node, which contributes to its efficiency.

Q: What are the integrated graphics options?

A: The i3-4330 includes Intel HD 4600, while the N100 includes UHD Graphics 730. The database does not provide benchmark scores for either integrated GPU, so direct performance comparison is not possible.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors:

• Cores: i3-4330 has 2, N100 has 4
• Threads: i3-4330 has 4, N100 has 4 (same count, different physical/logical mix)
• Base Clock: i3-4330 is 3.50 GHz, N100 is listed as 100.00 GHz (likely a database anomaly; the N100's boost clock is 3.40 GHz)
• Boost Clock: i3-4330 has none listed, N100 has 3.40 GHz
• TDP: i3-4330 is 54W, N100 is 6W
• Socket: i3-4330 uses Intel Socket 1150, N100 uses Intel BGA 1264
• Process Node: i3-4330 is 22nm, N100 is 10nm
• Transistors: i3-4330 has 1,400 million, N100 has none listed
• Die Size: i3-4330 is 177 mm², N100 has none listed
• L1 Cache: i3-4330 has 64 KB per core, N100 has 96 KB per core
• L2 Cache: i3-4330 has 256 KB per core, N100 has 2 MB shared
• L3 Cache: i3-4330 has 4 MB shared, N100 has 6 MB shared
• Memory Support: i3-4330 is DDR3, N100 is DDR4 and DDR5
• Memory Bus: i3-4330 is dual-channel, N100 is single-channel
• Memory Bandwidth: i3-4330 has none listed, N100 has 38.4 GB/s
• Integrated Graphics: i3-4330 has Intel HD 4600, N100 has UHD Graphics 730
• Market Segment: i3-4330 is Desktop, N100 is Mobile
• Production Status: i3-4330 has none listed, N100 is Active
• Release Date: i3-4330 is September 2013, N100 is January 2023
• Launch MSRP: i3-4330 has none listed, N100 is $128
• Part Number: i3-4330 is SR1NM, N100 is SRMDM

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records three head-to-head Cinebench comparisons between these two processors.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the N100 wins with a score of 401.5 against the i3-4330's 298. That is a 25.8% advantage for the N100. This test is older and may favor the N100's four physical cores, which can each handle a thread without relying on Hyper-Threading.

In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the tables turn. The i3-4330 scores 2966, while the N100 scores 2559.5. The i3-4330 leads by 15.9%. This is the most demanding multi-core workload in the head-to-head set, and the i3-4330's higher base clock of 3.50 GHz, combined with its Hyper-Threading, appears to carry it past the N100 despite having half the physical cores.

In Cinebench R23 single-core, the N100 dominates. It scores 910.5 versus the i3-4330's 418, a staggering 54.1% lead. This is the largest delta in any test and reflects the N100's modern Gracemont architecture and its 3.40 GHz boost clock, which the i3-4330 lacks entirely.

The overall head-to-head tally is 2 wins for the N100 and 1 for the i3-4330. But the average benchmark scores tell a closer story: the i3-4330 has an average score of 1020, while the N100 sits at 1007. The i3-4330's nearest rivals include the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 at 1022, the Intel Core i3-4160 at 1017, the Intel Core i7-975 at 1023, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U at 1024. The N100's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-10210Y at 1006, the Intel Core i7-880 at 1006, the AMD FX-9830P at 1006, and the Intel Core i3-7100H at 1009. Both CPUs land in similar overall performance territory, with the i3-4330 at the 28th percentile and the N100 at the 27th percentile of all CPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The N100 wins in single-threaded workloads by a wide margin. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 910.5 is more than double the i3-4330's 418. This makes the N100 the better choice for everyday tasks like web browsing, office productivity, and any application that is primarily single-threaded. It also wins the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test, which suggests it handles lightly threaded multi-core workloads well thanks to its four physical cores.

The N100 is also the clear winner for power-constrained builds. Its 6W TDP versus the i3-4330's 54W means it can run in compact, passively cooled systems or battery-powered mobile devices. It supports newer DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving it a modern upgrade path, and its UHD Graphics 730 is a newer integrated solution than the i3-4330's HD 4600.

The i3-4330 wins in the most demanding multi-core benchmark recorded: Cinebench R23 multi-core. Its score of 2966 beats the N100 by 15.9%. This makes it the better option for sustained CPU rendering, video encoding, or any workload that scales with multi-threaded performance in modern rendering engines. Its dual-channel DDR3 memory bus may also help in memory-bandwidth-sensitive tasks, though the database does not provide a bandwidth figure for the i3-4330 to confirm this.

The i3-4330 also benefits from its desktop socket design. It uses Intel Socket 1150, which means it can be paired with a wide range of ATX and micro-ATX motherboards, and it has a 177 mm² die with 1,400 million transistors, which reflects its era of high-voltage desktop computing. For users with an existing LGA 1150 platform, the i3-4330 is a drop-in upgrade that offers stronger modern multi-core rendering performance than the N100.

In terms of overall average benchmark score, the two are nearly identical: 1020 for the i3-4330 and 1007 for the N100. The percentile rankings are also close, at 28% and 27% respectively. This means neither CPU is a dominant overall performer, but each has clear strengths in specific areas. The N100 is the modern, efficient, single-thread champion; the i3-4330 is the legacy desktop part that still holds its own in multi-threaded rendering. Choose based on your workload, not on the average scores.