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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i3-1305U

2023

Why buy it

✅+25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics, while Core i3-10305T needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i3-10305T

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,512 vs 8,634).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 10 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $143 MSRP, while Core i3-1305U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i3-1305U moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i3-1305U

2023

Core i3-10305T

2021

Why buy it

✅+25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics, while Core i3-10305T needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,512 vs 8,634).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 10 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $143 MSRP, while Core i3-1305U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core i3-1305U moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-1305U better than Core i3-10305T?

Yes. Core i3-1305U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i3-1305U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.1% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-1305U is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 5 cores and 6 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i3-1305U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i3-10305T makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i3-1305U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $143 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i3-10305T is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (59.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core i3-1305U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 5 cores / 6 threads instead of 4/8. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-1305U Benchmark Check

Core i3-10305T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-1305U	Core i3-10305T
1080p
low	183 FPS	175 FPS
medium	150 FPS	138 FPS
high	122 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	147 FPS
medium	119 FPS	115 FPS
high	96 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	69 FPS
medium	72 FPS	58 FPS
high	58 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i3-1305U Open Core i3-10305T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-1305U	Core i3-10305T
1080p
low	179 FPS	212 FPS
medium	147 FPS	176 FPS
high	133 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	183 FPS
medium	128 FPS	152 FPS
high	119 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	113 FPS	144 FPS
medium	99 FPS	123 FPS
high	85 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	75 FPS

Open Core i3-1305U Open Core i3-10305T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-1305U	Core i3-10305T
1080p
low	216 FPS	213 FPS
medium	216 FPS	213 FPS
high	216 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	216 FPS	213 FPS
medium	216 FPS	213 FPS
high	216 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	216 FPS	213 FPS
medium	216 FPS	213 FPS
high	216 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i3-1305U Open Core i3-10305T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-1305U	Core i3-10305T
1080p
low	216 FPS	213 FPS
medium	216 FPS	213 FPS
high	216 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	216 FPS	213 FPS
medium	216 FPS	213 FPS
high	216 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	216 FPS	213 FPS
medium	216 FPS	213 FPS
high	216 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i3-1305U Open Core i3-10305T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-1305U and Core i3-10305T

Core i3-1305U

The Core i3-1305U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 8,634 points. Launch price was $309.

Core i3-10305T

The Core i3-10305T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-R (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 8,512 points. Launch price was $143.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-1305U packs 5 cores / 6 threads, while the Core i3-10305T offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i3-1305U has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i3-1305U versus 4 GHz on the Core i3-10305T — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Core i3-1305U (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i3-1305U uses the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i3-10305T uses Comet Lake-R (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-1305U scores 8,634 against the Core i3-10305T's 8,512 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i3-1305U. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Core i3-1305U vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i3-10305T.

Feature	Core i3-1305U	Core i3-10305T
Cores / Threads	5 / 6+25%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+13%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	3 GHz+87%
L3 Cache	10 MB (total)+25%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-U (2023)	Comet Lake-R (2021)
PassMark	8,634+1%	8,512
Cinebench R23 Multi	4,388	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,960	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,900	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-1305U uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i3-10305T uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-1305U	Core i3-10305T
Socket	FCBGA1744	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200	—
Max RAM Capacity	96 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-1305U) / not specified (Core i3-10305T). The Core i3-1305U includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics), while the Core i3-10305T requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-1305U targets Budget Laptop.