Core i5-8257U
VS
Ryzen 3 4300U

Core i5-8257U vs Ryzen 3 4300U

Intel

Core i5-8257U

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2019
VS
AMD

Ryzen 3 4300U

4 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i5-8257U is positioned at rank 235 and the Ryzen 3 4300U is on rank 457, so the Core i5-8257U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8257U

#64
Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
97%
#223
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
395%
#224
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
389%
#225
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
357%
#226
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
356%
#227
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
352%
#229
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
340%
#230
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
326%
#231
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
326%
#232
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
317%
#235
Core i5-8257U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 3 4300U

#144
Core i7-12650H
MSRP: $457|Avg: N/A
97%
#445
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
598%
#446
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
589%
#447
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
541%
#448
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
539%
#449
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
534%
#451
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
515%
#452
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
494%
#453
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
493%
#454
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
480%
#457
Ryzen 3 4300U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#472
Ryzen Embedded R1505G
MSRP: $80|Avg: $80
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-8257U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Ryzen 3 4300U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i5-8257URyzen 3 4300U
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) / 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i5-8257URyzen 3 4300U
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8257U and Ryzen 3 4300U

Intel

Core i5-8257U

The Core i5-8257U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,427 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

The Core i5-8257U packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 3 4300U's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i5-8257U versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4300U — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-8257U (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i5-8257U uses the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 4300U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8257U scores 7,427 against the Ryzen 3 4300U's 7,359 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i5-8257U. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i5-8257U vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4300U.

FeatureCore i5-8257URyzen 3 4300U
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz+5%
3.7 GHz
Base Clock
1.4 GHz
2.7 GHz+93%
L3 Cache
6 MB+50%
4 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
512 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm
7 nm-50%
Architecture
Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)
Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark
7,427
7,359
Cinebench R23 Multi
4,017
Geekbench 6 Single
1,100
Geekbench 6 Multi
4,000
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8257U uses the FCBGA1528 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 4300U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-8257URyzen 3 4300U
Socket
FCBGA1528
FP6
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-8257U) / not specified (Ryzen 3 4300U). The Core i5-8257U includes integrated graphics (Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645), while the Ryzen 3 4300U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8257U targets Ultrabook.

FeatureCore i5-8257URyzen 3 4300U
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Ultrabook