Core i3-9350K vs Ryzen 3 2300X

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 i3-9350K

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 41.3 vs 58.6 PassMark/$ ($184 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌40% higher power demand at 91W vs 65W.

Ryzen 3 2300X

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $55 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Delivers 42.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 58.6 vs 41.3 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 91W, a 26W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-9350K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,564 vs 7,596).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i3-9350K

2019

Ryzen 3 2300X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $55 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Delivers 42.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 58.6 vs 41.3 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $184 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 91W, a 26W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 41.3 vs 58.6 PassMark/$ ($184 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌40% higher power demand at 91W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i3-9350K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,564 vs 7,596).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-9350K better than Ryzen 3 2300X?

Yes. Core i3-9350K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i3-9350K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.0% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-9350K is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 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 i3-9350K is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i3-9350K is 42.6% more expensive on MSRP at $184 MSRP versus $129 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. 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 i3-9350K 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 / 4 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 i3-9350K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 2300X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-9350K	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	190 FPS	180 FPS
medium	154 FPS	156 FPS
high	124 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	150 FPS
medium	122 FPS	125 FPS
high	99 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	88 FPS	66 FPS
medium	74 FPS	59 FPS
high	59 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i3-9350K Open Ryzen 3 2300X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-9350K	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	164 FPS
1440p
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	172 FPS
high	190 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	151 FPS
medium	190 FPS	130 FPS
high	162 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i3-9350K Open Ryzen 3 2300X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-9350K	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	175 FPS	156 FPS

Open Core i3-9350K Open Ryzen 3 2300X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-9350K	Ryzen 3 2300X
1080p
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	189 FPS
1440p
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	190 FPS	189 FPS
medium	190 FPS	189 FPS
high	190 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	189 FPS

Open Core i3-9350K Open Ryzen 3 2300X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-9350K and Ryzen 3 2300X

Core i3-9350K

The Core i3-9350K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 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 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 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: 7,596 points. Launch price was $149.

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.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i3-9350K and Ryzen 3 2300X share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i3-9350K versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 3 2300X — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Core i3-9350K (base: 4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i3-9350K uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 2300X uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-9350K scores 7,596 against the Ryzen 3 2300X's 7,564 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-9350K. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-9350K vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 2300X.

Feature	Core i3-9350K	Ryzen 3 2300X
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+10%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+14%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	7,596	7,564

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-9350K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 2300X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-9350K	Ryzen 3 2300X
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0

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Value Analysis

The Core i3-9350K launched at $184 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 2300X debuted at $129. On MSRP ($184 vs $129), the Ryzen 3 2300X is $55 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-9350K delivers 41.3 pts/$ vs 58.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 2300X — making the Ryzen 3 2300X the 34.7% better value option.