Core i3-9320 vs Ryzen 3 4300U

Intel

Core i3-9320

4 Cores4 Thrd62 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2019
VS
AMD

Ryzen 3 4300U

4 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2020
Ryzen family
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Core i3-9320 vs Ryzen 3 4300U Performance Spectrum

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.

Core i3-9320 vs Ryzen 3 4300U 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.

Core i3-9320 vs Ryzen 3 4300U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i3-9320

2019

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +12.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (7,358 vs 7,359).
  • Launch MSRP is still $154 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 4300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 313.3% higher power demand at 62W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 4300U

2020

Why buy it

  • +0% higher PassMark.
  • Draws 15W instead of 62W, a 47W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-9320 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 4300U better than Core i3-9320?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i3-9320 is ahead with a 12.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 4300U pulls ahead with 0% better PassMark. Core i3-9320 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 4300U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 3 4300U is still the better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 3 4300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $154 MSRP, and it still gives you 0% better PassMark. Core i3-9320 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the better recommendation now. At roughly 7,358 PassMark with 4 cores and 4 threads, it only really makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 3 4300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i3-9320 vs Ryzen 3 4300U Technical Specifications

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

Intel

Core i3-9320

The Core i3-9320 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 62 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 7,358 points. Launch price was $149.

AMD

Ryzen 3 4300U

The Ryzen 3 4300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,359 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-9320 and Ryzen 3 4300U share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i3-9320 versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4300U — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i3-9320 (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i3-9320 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 4300U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-9320 scores 7,358 against the Ryzen 3 4300U's 7,359 — a 0% lead for the Ryzen 3 4300U. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-9320 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4300U.

FeatureCore i3-9320Ryzen 3 4300U
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 4
Boost Clock
4.4 GHz+19%
3.7 GHz
Base Clock
3.7 GHz+37%
2.7 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB (total)+50%
4 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
512 kB (per core)+100%
Process
14 nm
7 nm-50%
Architecture
Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark
7,358
7,359
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-9320 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 4300U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i3-9320Ryzen 3 4300U
Socket
LGA1151
FP6
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0