Intel Core 3 N350

The Intel Core 3 N350 is a mobile processor built on the Twin Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It packs 8 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 100.00 and a boost clock of 3.90, all within a 7 W TDP. The chip is soldered to the Intel BGA 1264 socket, integrates UHD Graphics 770, and supports DDR4, DDR5, and LPDDR5 memory over a single-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. Its average benchmark score of 1749 places it in the 43rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating a below-median standing, but one that is tightly clustered with several established rivals.

Benchmark Performance

The Cinebench results paint a clear picture of a multi-core-oriented low-power part. In Cinebench R23, the N350 scores 6049 in multi-core and 854 in single-core. The R20 run yields 2540 multi-core and 358 single-core, while the older R15 test produces 609 multi-core and 85 single-core. These scores are modest in absolute terms, but they demonstrate consistent scaling across the eight threads. The average benchmark score of 1749 is the anchor for comparison. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-4790T, matches it exactly with an average score of 1748, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 3200GE posts 1750, putting the N350 0.1% behind. The Intel Core i5-8269U scores 1748, giving the N350 a 0.1% advantage. Finally, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U scores 1752, leaving the N350 0.2% behind. All deltas are within 0.2%, meaning the N350 is statistically indistinguishable from these rivals in aggregate performance. The 43rd percentile ranking underscores that the chip sits below the median of all CPUs, but for a 7 W mobile part, this is a reasonable position given the thermal and power constraints.

Who Should Consider It

The benchmark data suggests the Core 3 N350 is best suited for light productivity, office work, and media consumption. Its multi-core score of 6049 in Cinebench R23 is adequate for running multiple office applications simultaneously, compiling small codebases, or handling background tasks like file compression. The single-core score of 854, however, limits responsiveness in single-threaded applications such as spreadsheet recalculation or web browsing with heavy JavaScript. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 can handle video playback and basic 2D workloads, but the lack of dedicated gaming performance is evident from the overall CPU scores. Memory support for DDR4, DDR5, and LPDDR5, along with a single-channel bus capped at 38.4 GB/s, further positions this chip for ultraportable laptops where battery life is prioritized over throughput. Users who primarily browse, stream, or edit documents will find the performance sufficient. Conversely, 3D rendering, video encoding, or high-refresh gaming would strain the processor, as reflected by its below-median percentile ranking.

Power and Thermals

With a TDP of 7 W, the Core 3 N350 falls into the ultra-low-power class. This rating implies that a simple passive heatsink or a small low-profile fan can manage the thermal load. The 10 nm process from Intel contributes to efficiency, but the BGA 1264 socket means the chip is permanently soldered to the motherboard, ruling out user upgrades. The low TDP also suggests the processor can sustain its boost clock of 3.90 in thin-and-light chassis without aggressive thermal throttling, provided the surrounding components adhere to similar power budgets. The base clock of 100.00 (likely representing an idle frequency) and boost of 3.90 indicate a wide dynamic range, allowing the chip to drop to minimal power draw when idle. For system integrators, this makes the N350 suitable for fanless designs, though the overall system thermals will depend on other components like storage and memory.

How It Compares

The Intel Core i7-4790T, a desktop part from an earlier era, matches the N350's average score of 1748 with a 0% delta. This parity is striking given the N350's 7 W TDP versus the 4790T's higher power envelope, but the comparison is based solely on aggregate benchmarks. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 3200GE scores 1750, putting the N350 0.1% behind—a negligible difference well within run-to-run variance. The Intel Core i5-8269U, a mobile part from a previous generation, scores 1748, giving the N350 a 0.1% advantage. Finally, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U scores 1752, leaving the N350 0.2% behind. In all cases, the performance parity is remarkable; the N350 trades blows with these established parts despite its significantly lower TDP. The data shows that the N350 is not a performance outlier but rather a well-balanced low-power option that holds its own against older, higher-power designs.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 854 is modest, but the multi-core score of 6049 yields a ratio of roughly 7.1, close to the theoretical 8x scaling expected from eight threads. This indicates efficient parallelization with minimal inter-core interference. In R20, the single-core score of 358 and multi-core 2540 produce a similar ratio of 7.1, confirming consistent scaling across the suite. For real-world workloads, multi-threaded applications will see near-linear gains from the eight cores, while single-threaded tasks will be limited by the per-core performance. The base clock of 100.00 and boost of 3.90 suggest the processor can ramp up to a respectable frequency for short bursts, but sustained single-thread loads may not hold the boost indefinitely. The absence of hyperthreading (8 threads for 8 cores) means each core handles one thread, simplifying scheduling but also limiting throughput on lightly threaded tasks. Overall, the N350 is best utilized in environments where multiple threads are active, such as background processing, virtualization, or parallel compilation. For interactive single-threaded responsiveness, the processor will feel adequate but not snappy, as the low single-core scores indicate.