Core i7-4930K vs Ryzen 3 5300U

Core i7-4930K vs Ryzen 3 5300U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-4930K

6 / 12

9,379

0.0%

9,453

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

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 i7-4930K vs Ryzen 3 5300U 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 i7-4930K vs Ryzen 3 5300U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-4930K

2013

Why buy it

✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (9,379 vs 9,453).
❌Launch MSRP is still $670 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌766.7% higher power demand at 130W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 3 5300U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 3 5300U

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 130W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 6, while Core i7-4930K needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 5300U better than Core i7-4930K?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-4930K is ahead with a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 5300U pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Core i7-4930K also has the bigger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 5300U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 5300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 3 5300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $670 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. Core i7-4930K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2013 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (14.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2011.

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

Ryzen 3 5300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-4930K vs Ryzen 3 5300U Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-4930K

The Core i7-4930K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,379 points. Launch price was $670.

Ryzen 3 5300U

The Ryzen 3 5300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,453 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-4930K packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 5300U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-4930K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-4930K versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 3 5300U — a 2.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-4930K (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i7-4930K uses the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4930K scores 9,379 against the Ryzen 3 5300U's 9,453 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 3 5300U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-4930K vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 5300U.

Feature	Core i7-4930K	Ryzen 3 5300U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+3%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+31%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	22 nm	7 nm-68%
Architecture	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	9,379	9,453
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	5,522
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,457
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,526

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4930K uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-4930K	Ryzen 3 5300U
Socket	LGA2011	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	12

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-4930K) / Yes (Ryzen 3 5300U). The Ryzen 3 5300U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 6), while the Core i7-4930K requires a dedicated GPU.