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 i5-1035G4

2019

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Plus Graphics G4, while Ryzen 3 2300X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 3 2300X

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (7,564 vs 7,658).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $129 MSRP, while Core i5-1035G4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-1035G4 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-1035G4

2019

Ryzen 3 2300X

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Plus Graphics G4, while Ryzen 3 2300X 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 (7,564 vs 7,658).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $129 MSRP, while Core i5-1035G4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-1035G4 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-1035G4 better than Ryzen 3 2300X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 3 2300X is ahead with a 1.7% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-1035G4 pulls ahead with 1.2% better PassMark. Core i5-1035G4 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, Core i5-1035G4 is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i5-1035G4 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i5-1035G4 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $129 MSRP, and it gives you 1.2% better PassMark. Ryzen 3 2300X only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. At roughly 7,564 PassMark with 4 cores and 4 threads, it only makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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

Core i5-1035G4 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i5-1035G4 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 2300X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-1035G4	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	181 FPS	180 FPS
medium	145 FPS	156 FPS
high	116 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	150 FPS
medium	116 FPS	125 FPS
high	92 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	66 FPS
medium	58 FPS	59 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i5-1035G4 Open Ryzen 3 2300X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-1035G4	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	141 FPS	189 FPS
medium	121 FPS	189 FPS
high	111 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	164 FPS
1440p
low	122 FPS	189 FPS
medium	106 FPS	172 FPS
high	99 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	95 FPS	151 FPS
medium	86 FPS	130 FPS
high	72 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	56 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i5-1035G4 Open Ryzen 3 2300X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-1035G4	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	191 FPS	189 FPS
medium	191 FPS	189 FPS
high	191 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	191 FPS	189 FPS
medium	191 FPS	189 FPS
high	191 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	191 FPS	189 FPS
medium	191 FPS	189 FPS
high	191 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	156 FPS

Open Core i5-1035G4 Open Ryzen 3 2300X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-1035G4	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	191 FPS	189 FPS
medium	191 FPS	189 FPS
high	191 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	191 FPS	189 FPS
medium	191 FPS	189 FPS
high	191 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	191 FPS	189 FPS
medium	191 FPS	189 FPS
high	191 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	189 FPS

Open Core i5-1035G4 Open Ryzen 3 2300X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-1035G4 and Ryzen 3 2300X

Core i5-1035G4

The Core i5-1035G4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Ice Lake (Client) (2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1526. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,658 points. Launch price was $320.

Ryzen 3 2300X

The Ryzen 3 2300X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 August 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 7,564 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-1035G4 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 3 2300X's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i5-1035G4 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 3 2300X — a 12.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 2300X (base: 1.1 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-1035G4 uses the Ice Lake (Client) (2019) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 3 2300X uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-1035G4 scores 7,658 against the Ryzen 3 2300X's 7,564 — a 1.2% lead for the Core i5-1035G4. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-1035G4 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 2300X.

Feature	Core i5-1035G4	Ryzen 3 2300X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.2 GHz+14%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	3.5 GHz+218%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Ice Lake (Client) (2019)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	7,658+1%	7,564
Cinebench R23 Multi	4,332	—
Geekbench 6 Single	922	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,919	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-1035G4 uses the FCBGA1526 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 2300X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-1035G4	Ryzen 3 2300X
Socket	FCBGA1526	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4-3733	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-1035G4) / not specified (Ryzen 3 2300X). The Core i5-1035G4 includes integrated graphics (Iris Plus Graphics G4), while the Ryzen 3 2300X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-1035G4 targets Ultra-portable laptops. Direct competitor: Core i5-1035G4 rivals Ryzen 5 3500U.