Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-7100

CPU

GPU

Athlon PRO 300GE

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2019

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Core i3-7100

2 Cores4 Thrd51 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2017

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Athlon PRO 300GE vs Core i3-7100 Performance Spectrum

Athlon PRO 300GE

2 / 4

4,342

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i3-7100

2 / 4

4,306

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 i3-7100 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 i3-7100: 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

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
✅Costs $67 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $117 MSRP).
✅Delivers 136.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 86.8 vs 36.8 PassMark/$ ($50 MSRP vs $117 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 51W, a 16W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-7100 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i3-7100

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,306 vs 4,342).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.8 vs 86.8 PassMark/$ ($117 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
❌45.7% higher power demand at 51W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon PRO 300GE better than Core i3-7100?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-7100 is ahead with a 9.9% 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 0.8% better PassMark. Athlon PRO 300GE also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

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 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

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 $67 cheaper on MSRP at $50 MSRP versus $117 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The compromise is that Core i3-7100 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 9.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 136.0% better value on MSRP (86.8 vs 36.8 PassMark/$), 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 2017), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB), 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 i3-7100 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 i3-7100

The Core i3-7100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 3 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: 4,306 points. Launch price was $117.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon PRO 300GE and Core i3-7100 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300GE versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i3-7100 — a 13.7% clock advantage for the Core i3-7100. The Athlon PRO 300GE uses the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i3-7100 uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300GE scores 4,342 against the Core i3-7100's 4,306 — a 0.8% lead for the Athlon PRO 300GE. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Athlon PRO 300GE vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-7100.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-7100
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.9 GHz+15%
Base Clock	—	3.9 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB+33%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	12 nm-14%	14 nm
Architecture	Zen+ (2018−2019)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	4,342	4,306

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon PRO 300GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-7100 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Athlon PRO 300GE versus DDR4-2400 on the Core i3-7100 — the Athlon PRO 300GE supports 11.1% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon PRO 300GE) vs 16 (Core i3-7100) — the Core i3-7100 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-7100
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666+11%	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Athlon PRO 300GE) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-7100). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon PRO 300GE) and HD Graphics 630 (Core i3-7100) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon PRO 300GE targets Desktop, Core i3-7100 targets Desktop.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-7100
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 3	HD Graphics 630
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon PRO 300GE was priced at $50, while the Core i3-7100 came in at $117. On launch pricing ($50 vs $117), Athlon PRO 300GE was $67 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon PRO 300GE delivers 86.8 pts/$ vs 36.8 pts/$ for the Core i3-7100 — making the Athlon PRO 300GE the 80.9% better value option.

Feature	Athlon PRO 300GE	Core i3-7100
MSRP	$50-57%	$117
Performance per Dollar	86.8+136%	36.8
Release Date	2019	2017

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