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-N300

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $53 less on MSRP ($309 MSRP vs $362 MSRP).
✅Delivers 18.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 22.7 PassMark/$ ($309 MSRP vs $362 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1449 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).

Core i5-1145GRE

2020

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,207 vs 8,283).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.7 vs 26.8 PassMark/$ ($362 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1449 with DDR4, while Core i3-N300 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Core i3-N300

2023

Core i5-1145GRE

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $53 less on MSRP ($309 MSRP vs $362 MSRP).
✅Delivers 18.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 26.8 vs 22.7 PassMark/$ ($309 MSRP vs $362 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1449 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,207 vs 8,283).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.7 vs 26.8 PassMark/$ ($362 MSRP vs $309 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1449 with DDR4, while Core i3-N300 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-N300 better than Core i5-1145GRE?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-1145GRE is ahead with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-N300 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark. Core i5-1145GRE also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-N300 is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core i3-N300 is the smarter buy today. Core i3-N300 is $53 cheaper on MSRP at $309 MSRP versus $362 MSRP, and it gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-1145GRE is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.6% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 18.2% better value on MSRP (26.8 vs 22.7 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core i3-N300 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1264 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1449, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 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-N300 Benchmark Check

Core i5-1145GRE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-N300	Core i5-1145GRE
1080p
low	177 FPS	168 FPS
medium	142 FPS	136 FPS
high	114 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	84 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	144 FPS
medium	115 FPS	116 FPS
high	91 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	66 FPS
medium	57 FPS	56 FPS
high	45 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i3-N300 Open Core i5-1145GRE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-N300	Core i5-1145GRE
1080p
low	157 FPS	147 FPS
medium	135 FPS	127 FPS
high	122 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	130 FPS
medium	118 FPS	113 FPS
high	108 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	90 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	102 FPS
medium	97 FPS	92 FPS
high	89 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	66 FPS

Open Core i3-N300 Open Core i5-1145GRE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-N300	Core i5-1145GRE
1080p
low	207 FPS	205 FPS
medium	207 FPS	205 FPS
high	207 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	205 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	205 FPS
medium	207 FPS	205 FPS
high	207 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	205 FPS
4K
low	207 FPS	205 FPS
medium	207 FPS	205 FPS
high	207 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	205 FPS

Open Core i3-N300 Open Core i5-1145GRE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-N300	Core i5-1145GRE
1080p
low	207 FPS	205 FPS
medium	207 FPS	205 FPS
high	207 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	205 FPS
1440p
low	207 FPS	205 FPS
medium	207 FPS	205 FPS
high	207 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	205 FPS
4K
low	207 FPS	205 FPS
medium	207 FPS	205 FPS
high	207 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	205 FPS

Open Core i3-N300 Open Core i5-1145GRE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-N300 and Core i5-1145GRE

Core i3-N300

The Core i3-N300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-N (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 0.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per module). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1264. Thermal design power (TDP): 7 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 8,283 points. Launch price was $309.

Core i5-1145GRE

The Core i5-1145GRE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 September 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1449. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, LPDDR4X. Passmark benchmark score: 8,207 points. Launch price was $362.

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Processing Power

The Core i3-N300 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-1145GRE offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i3-N300 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i3-N300 versus 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-1145GRE — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-1145GRE (base: 0.1 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i3-N300 uses the Alder Lake-N (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Core i5-1145GRE uses Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-N300 scores 8,283 against the Core i5-1145GRE's 8,207 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i3-N300. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-N300 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i5-1145GRE.

Feature	Core i3-N300	Core i5-1145GRE
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.1 GHz+8%
Base Clock	0.1 GHz	1.5 GHz+1400%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per module)+60%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-N (2023)	Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021)
PassMark	8,283	8,207

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-N300 uses the FCBGA1264 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i5-1145GRE uses FCBGA1449 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-N300	Core i5-1145GRE
Socket	FCBGA1264	FCBGA1449
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0

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Value Analysis

The Core i3-N300 launched at $309 MSRP, while the Core i5-1145GRE debuted at $362. On MSRP ($309 vs $362), the Core i3-N300 is $53 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-N300 delivers 26.8 pts/$ vs 22.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-1145GRE — making the Core i3-N300 the 16.7% better value option.