Intel Core i3-N300

Intel Core i3-N300 is a mobile processor built on the Gracemont architecture, featuring 8 cores and 8 threads with a base clock of 100 MHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. It carries a 7 W TDP and is designed for the Intel BGA 1264 socket, with a production status that remains active. The chip integrates UHD Graphics 770 and supports single-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, alongside PCIe Gen 3 with 9 lanes from the CPU. Its benchmark profile places it at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2061, positioning it as a mid-pack performer in the broader processor landscape.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The data reveals a pronounced divergence between single-thread and multi-thread performance for the Intel Core i3-N300. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score reaches 7128, while the single-core score is 1006, yielding a ratio of roughly 7.1:1. This indicates that the processor scales exceptionally well across its 8 physical cores, suggesting that the Gracemont efficiency cores are well-coordinated for parallel workloads. The single-core score of 1006 in R23 is modest, reflecting the architecture’s focus on power efficiency rather than raw per-thread speed, which is consistent with its 7 W TDP and mobile market segment.

In earlier Cinebench versions, the pattern holds. The R20 multi-core score of 2993 versus a single-core score of 422 gives a similar multi-to-single ratio of about 7.1:1, while R15 shows 718 multi-core against 101 single-core, again near that same ratio. This consistency across test generations indicates that the multi-threaded advantage is stable, not an artifact of a specific benchmark version. For real-world workloads, this split means that tasks which can utilize all 8 threads, such as video encoding, 3D rendering, or batch file processing, will see substantial throughput gains relative to tasks that depend on a single thread, like legacy applications or lightly threaded games.

Benchmark results further indicate that the single-thread performance is a limiting factor for interactive responsiveness. The R23 single-core score of 1006 sits well below what modern desktop processors typically achieve, implying that day-to-day activities like web browsing with heavy JavaScript or document editing with complex macros may feel less snappy. Conversely, the multi-core results suggest that the processor can handle sustained parallel loads without significant throttling, a likely benefit of the low TDP and efficient architecture. The 6 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 per module support this by reducing inter-core communication overhead, though the 96 KB L1 per core is modest. Overall, the data portrays a chip optimized for throughput in multi-threaded scenarios, at the expense of single-thread agility.

Who Should Consider It

Given the benchmark profile, the Intel Core i3-N300 is best suited for users whose primary workloads are parallelizable and can leverage the 8 cores. Content creation tasks such as photo editing with batch operations, video transcoding, or software compilation would benefit from the multi-core scores, particularly the R23 multi-core result of 7128, which indicates strong sustained performance for such jobs. The 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests that it outperforms a slight majority of processors, but it is not a high-end part, so demanding professional workloads like 4K video editing with heavy effects might still be beyond its reach.

For gaming, the single-core scores are more relevant, and the R23 single-core result of 1006 is not competitive with modern gaming-focused desktop chips. The data indicates that frame rates in CPU-bound games would likely be limited, especially in titles that do not scale well beyond a few threads. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 further suggests that this is not intended for serious gaming without a discrete GPU, and even then, the processor’s single-thread ceiling would be a bottleneck. Office productivity, on the other hand, is a mixed picture: spreadsheet calculations that are single-threaded would be sluggish, but multi-threaded tasks like exporting large PDFs or running multiple virtual machines could see decent performance.

The 7 W TDP and mobile form factor point toward deployment in thin-and-light laptops or mini PCs where power efficiency is paramount. The single-channel memory bus, with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, is a further constraint for memory-intensive applications, but it is adequate for typical office and media consumption workloads. Users who prioritize battery life and passive cooling solutions over peak performance would find this architecture appropriate. Conversely, those who require fast single-thread response for interactive applications or competitive gaming would be better served by a different processor with higher single-core scores.

Benchmark Performance

The average benchmark score for the Intel Core i3-N300 is 2061, which places it in a tight cluster with several rivals, according to the nearestRivals data. The Intel Core i3-10105T and Intel Core i7-8705G both match the score exactly at 2061, with a deltaPct of 0%, indicating statistically identical performance on average. The Intel Core i5-1145GRE trails slightly with a score of 2058, representing a negligible 0.1% difference, while the Intel Xeon E3-1585 v5 leads the group with a score of 2067, meaning the i3-N300 is 0.3% behind. These deltas are within noise margins for most benchmark suites, so the i3-N300 is effectively performance-equivalent to all four rivals in aggregate.

Delving into Cinebench results, the multi-core scores tell a more nuanced story. The R23 multi-core score of 7128 is a strong figure for a 7 W part, and the R20 score of 2993 reinforces this, but without direct rival scores for these specific tests, comparisons rely on the average. The single-core scores, however, reveal a potential weakness: the R23 single-core score of 1006 is the lowest in the Cinebench R23 family when compared to typical desktop parts, but among the nearest rivals, the deltaPct of 0.1% to 0.3% suggests that these rivals also have modest single-thread performance. The i5-1145GRE, for instance, is only 0.1% behind on average, implying similar single-thread characteristics.

The percentileVsAllCpus value of 47 indicates that the i3-N300 sits just below the median of all tested CPUs. This is a meaningful positioning: it outperforms 47% of processors but is beaten by 53%, which aligns with its status as an efficiency-oriented mobile chip rather than a performance leader. The avgBenchmarkScore of 2061, when viewed against the rivals’ scores, suggests that any choice among these five processors would yield comparable overall performance, with differences unlikely to be perceptible in real-world use. The Xeon E3-1585 v5’s 0.3% lead is the largest gap, but it is still trivial. Benchmark results thus indicate that the i3-N300 is a solid mid-range performer, competitive with its immediate peers but not exceptional.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the Intel Core i3-N300?

A: The launch MSRP is $309.

Q: How does the multi-core performance compare to the single-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The multi-core score is 7128, while the single-core score is 1006, resulting in a multi-core advantage of approximately 7.1 times.

Q: What is the processor’s position relative to all CPUs in the benchmark database?

A: It ranks at the 47th percentile, meaning it performs better than 47% of all CPUs tested.

Q: Which rival processor has the highest average benchmark score among the nearest competitors?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1585 v5 has the highest score at 2067, which is 0.3% higher than the i3-N300’s 2061.

Q: Does the processor support error-correcting code memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth and bus configuration?

A: It supports single-channel memory with a bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, and it can utilize DDR4 or DDR5 modules.

How It Compares

The Intel Core i3-10105T is the closest rival, matching the i3-N300’s average score of 2061 exactly with a deltaPct of 0%. This indicates that, on average, the two processors deliver identical benchmark performance, making them interchangeable in aggregate workloads. The i3-10105T is a desktop part, but the data shows no performance advantage in either direction, so users would need to look at other factors like platform features to differentiate.

The Intel Core i7-8705G also achieves a score of 2061 with a 0% delta, placing it in the same performance tier. This is notable because the i7-8705G includes a more powerful integrated GPU in its original design, but the CPU benchmark scores are indistinguishable. For pure processing tasks, the i3-N300 holds its own against this older high-end mobile chip.

The Intel Core i5-1145GRE scores 2058, which is 0.1% lower than the i3-N300. This difference is negligible, indicating that the i3-N300 has a slight but meaningless edge in average performance. Both are efficiency-focused mobile processors, and the data shows they are effectively peers in compute capability.

The Intel Xeon E3-1585 v5 leads the group with a score of 2067, giving it a 0.3% advantage over the i3-N300. While this is the largest delta among the rivals, it remains within typical benchmark variance. The Xeon targets professional workstation use, yet the i3-N300’s lower TDP and newer architecture likely offset the minor performance deficit in many scenarios.