Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-6300

Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-6300 Performance Spectrum

Athlon PRO 300GE

2 / 4

4,342

+0.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i3-6300

2 / 4

4,331

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-6300 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-6300: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon PRO 300GE

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $97 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $147 MSRP).
✅Delivers 194.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.8 vs 29.5 PassMark/$ ($50 MSRP vs $147 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 51W, a 16W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-6300 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i3-6300

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,331 vs 4,342).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 29.5 vs 86.8 PassMark/$ ($147 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
❌45.7% higher power demand at 51W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon PRO 300GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon PRO 300GE better than Core i3-6300?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-6300 is ahead with a 10.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon PRO 300GE pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon PRO 300GE is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon PRO 300GE is the better buy right now. Athlon PRO 300GE comes in $97 cheaper on MSRP at $50 MSRP versus $147 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i3-6300 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 10.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 194.7% better value on MSRP (86.8 vs 29.5 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon PRO 300GE makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2015) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-6300 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon PRO 300GE

The Athlon PRO 300GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 4,342 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-6300

The Core i3-6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,331 points. Launch price was $147.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Athlon PRO 300GE and Core i3-6300 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300GE versus 3.8 GHz on the Core i3-6300 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Core i3-6300. The Athlon PRO 300GE uses the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i3-6300 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300GE scores 4,342 against the Core i3-6300's 4,331 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon PRO 300GE. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Athlon PRO 300GE vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-6300.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-6300
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.8 GHz+12%
Base Clock	—	3.8 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	12 nm-14%	14 nm
Architecture	Zen+ (2018−2019)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	4,342	4,331

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon PRO 300GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-6300 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-6300
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon PRO 300GE) / not specified (Core i3-6300). The Athlon PRO 300GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 3), while the Core i3-6300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon PRO 300GE targets Desktop.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-6300
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 3	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon PRO 300GE was priced at $50, while the Core i3-6300 came in at $147. On launch pricing ($50 vs $147), Athlon PRO 300GE was $97 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon PRO 300GE delivers 86.8 pts/$ vs 29.5 pts/$ for the Core i3-6300 — making the Athlon PRO 300GE the 98.7% better value option.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-6300
MSRP	$50-66%	$147
Performance per Dollar	86.8+194%	29.5
Release Date	2019	2015

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