Core i3-8350K
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Ryzen 3 1300X
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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.
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 i3-8350K
2017Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +5.5% higher average FPS across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (6,911 vs 6,923).
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 27.6 vs 53.7 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
- ❌40% higher power demand at 91W vs 65W.
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.
Ryzen 3 1300X
2017Why buy it
- ✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
- ✅Costs $121 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 94.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.7 vs 27.6 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 65W instead of 91W, a 26W reduction.
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-8350K across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Core i3-8350K
2017Ryzen 3 1300X
2017Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +5.5% higher average FPS across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Why buy it
- ✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
- ✅Costs $121 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 94.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.7 vs 27.6 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $250 MSRP).
- ✅Draws 65W instead of 91W, a 26W reduction.
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (6,911 vs 6,923).
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 27.6 vs 53.7 PassMark/$ ($250 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
- ❌40% higher power demand at 91W vs 65W.
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-8350K across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Quick Answers
So, is Ryzen 3 1300X better than Core i3-8350K?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Games Benchmarks
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.
Path of Exile 2
| Preset | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 162 FPS | 156 FPS |
| high | 128 FPS | 127 FPS |
| ultra | 90 FPS | 99 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 151 FPS |
| medium | 137 FPS | 124 FPS |
| high | 106 FPS | 98 FPS |
| ultra | 75 FPS | 75 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 74 FPS | 67 FPS |
| medium | 63 FPS | 59 FPS |
| high | 48 FPS | 46 FPS |
| ultra | 38 FPS | 36 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 169 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 157 FPS |
| ultra | 149 FPS | 124 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 169 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 145 FPS |
| high | 161 FPS | 133 FPS |
| ultra | 132 FPS | 110 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 132 FPS |
| medium | 149 FPS | 117 FPS |
| high | 121 FPS | 96 FPS |
| ultra | 92 FPS | 72 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| ultra | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| ultra | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 160 FPS |
| ultra | 154 FPS | 128 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| ultra | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| ultra | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| medium | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| high | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
| ultra | 173 FPS | 173 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-8350K and Ryzen 3 1300X
Core i3-8350K
Core i3-8350K
The Core i3-8350K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 91 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 6,911 points. Launch price was $168.
Ryzen 3 1300X
Ryzen 3 1300X
The Ryzen 3 1300X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 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: 6,923 points. Launch price was $129.
Processing Power
Both the Core i3-8350K and Ryzen 3 1300X share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i3-8350K versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 1300X — a 7.8% clock advantage for the Core i3-8350K (base: 4 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i3-8350K uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 1300X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-8350K scores 6,911 against the Ryzen 3 1300X's 6,923 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 3 1300X. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+8% | 3.7 GHz |
| Base Clock | 4 GHz+18% | 3.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Zen (2017−2020) |
| PassMark | 6,911 | 6,923 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 3,486 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,120 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 3,155 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i3-8350K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 1300X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2666 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | Yes |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 24 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i3-8350K) / AMD-V (Ryzen 3 1300X). Primary use case: Ryzen 3 1300X targets Gaming.
| Feature | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Gaming |
Value Analysis
The Core i3-8350K launched at $250 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 1300X debuted at $129. On MSRP ($250 vs $129), the Ryzen 3 1300X is $121 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-8350K delivers 27.6 pts/$ vs 53.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 1300X — making the Ryzen 3 1300X the 64% better value option.
| Feature | Core i3-8350K | Ryzen 3 1300X |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $250 | $129-48% |
| Performance per Dollar | 27.6 | 53.7+95% |
| Release Date | 2017 | 2017 |
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