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 i3-10100F

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.9% higher average FPS across 30 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $105 less on MSRP ($88 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅Delivers 114.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 99.0 vs 46.1 PassMark/$ ($88 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅Draws 1W instead of 15W, a 14W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,714 vs 8,897).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Processor U300 moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Processor U300

2023

Why buy it

✅+2.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-10100F across 30 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.1 vs 99.0 PassMark/$ ($193 MSRP vs $88 MSRP).
❌1400% higher power demand at 15W vs 1W.

Core i3-10100F

2020

Processor U300

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.9% higher average FPS across 30 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $105 less on MSRP ($88 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅Delivers 114.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 99.0 vs 46.1 PassMark/$ ($88 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
✅Draws 1W instead of 15W, a 14W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+2.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,714 vs 8,897).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 8 MB).
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Processor U300 moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-10100F across 30 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 46.1 vs 99.0 PassMark/$ ($193 MSRP vs $88 MSRP).
❌1400% higher power demand at 15W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-10100F better than Processor U300?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i3-10100F is ahead with a 17.9% average FPS lead across 30 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Processor U300 pulls ahead with 2.1% better PassMark. Processor U300 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, Processor U300 is the better fit. You are getting 2.1% better PassMark, backed by 5 cores and 6 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB).

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

Core i3-10100F is the smarter buy today. Core i3-10100F is $105 cheaper on MSRP at $88 MSRP versus $193 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.9% average FPS lead across 30 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Processor U300 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 2.1% better PassMark. It is also 114.8% better value on MSRP (99.0 vs 46.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Processor U300 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, 33.3% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 6 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 5 cores / 6 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 i3-10100F Benchmark Check

Processor U300 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-10100F	Processor U300
1080p
low	175 FPS	183 FPS
medium	138 FPS	150 FPS
high	108 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	150 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	94 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	84 FPS
medium	71 FPS	72 FPS
high	55 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i3-10100F Open Processor U300

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-10100F	Processor U300
1080p
low	218 FPS	166 FPS
medium	218 FPS	137 FPS
high	202 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	218 FPS	146 FPS
medium	200 FPS	123 FPS
high	178 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	149 FPS	99 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	113 FPS
medium	163 FPS	98 FPS
high	136 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	109 FPS	72 FPS

Open Core i3-10100F Open Processor U300

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-10100F	Processor U300
1080p
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	218 FPS	222 FPS
high	218 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	222 FPS
1440p
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	218 FPS	222 FPS
high	218 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	218 FPS	222 FPS
high	218 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	163 FPS

Open Core i3-10100F Open Processor U300

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-10100F	Processor U300
1080p
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	218 FPS	222 FPS
high	218 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	222 FPS
1440p
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	218 FPS	222 FPS
high	218 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	222 FPS
4K
low	218 FPS	222 FPS
medium	218 FPS	222 FPS
high	218 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	222 FPS

Open Core i3-10100F Open Processor U300

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-10100F and Processor U300

Core i3-10100F

The Core i3-10100F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 October 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 8,714 points. Launch price was $122.

Processor U300

The Processor U300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-U (2023) architecture. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 8,897 points. Launch price was $193.

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Processing Power

The Core i3-10100F packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Processor U300 offers 5 cores / 6 threads — the Processor U300 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i3-10100F versus 4.4 GHz on the Processor U300 — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Processor U300 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.2 GHz). The Core i3-10100F uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Processor U300 uses Raptor Lake-U (2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-10100F scores 8,714 against the Processor U300's 8,897 — a 2.1% lead for the Processor U300. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i3-10100F vs 8 MB (total) on the Processor U300.

Feature	Core i3-10100F	Processor U300
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	5 / 6+25%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+200%	1.2 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1 MB	1.25 MB (per core)+25%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Raptor Lake-U (2023)
PassMark	8,714	8,897+2%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-10100F uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Processor U300 uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-10100F	Processor U300
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Value Analysis

The Core i3-10100F launched at $88 MSRP, while the Processor U300 debuted at $193. On MSRP ($88 vs $193), the Core i3-10100F is $105 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-10100F delivers 99.0 pts/$ vs 46.1 pts/$ for the Processor U300 — making the Core i3-10100F the 72.9% better value option.