
Core i7-1250U
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Ryzen 3 4300GE
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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 i7-1250U
2022Why buy it
- ✅+8.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
- ✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
- ✅Draws 10W instead of 35W, a 26W reduction.
- ✅Newer platform on FCBGA1781 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 26.5 vs 119.6 PassMark/$ ($426 MSRP vs $94 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 4300GE.
Ryzen 3 4300GE
2020Why buy it
- ✅Costs $332 less on MSRP ($94 MSRP vs $426 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 350.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 119.6 vs 26.5 PassMark/$ ($94 MSRP vs $426 MSRP).
- ✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-1250U.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,472 vs 1,600).
- ❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (5,800 vs 6,788).
- ❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
- ❌268.4% higher power demand at 35W vs 9.5W.
- ❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i7-1250U moves to FCBGA1781 and DDR5.
Core i7-1250U
2022Ryzen 3 4300GE
2020Why buy it
- ✅+8.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
- ✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
- ✅Draws 10W instead of 35W, a 26W reduction.
- ✅Newer platform on FCBGA1781 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
Why buy it
- ✅Costs $332 less on MSRP ($94 MSRP vs $426 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 350.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 119.6 vs 26.5 PassMark/$ ($94 MSRP vs $426 MSRP).
- ✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-1250U.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 26.5 vs 119.6 PassMark/$ ($426 MSRP vs $94 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 4300GE.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,472 vs 1,600).
- ❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (5,800 vs 6,788).
- ❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
- ❌268.4% higher power demand at 35W vs 9.5W.
- ❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core i7-1250U moves to FCBGA1781 and DDR5.
Quick Answers
So, is Core i7-1250U better than Ryzen 3 4300GE?
Which one is better for gaming?
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 i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 187 FPS | 183 FPS |
| medium | 156 FPS | 146 FPS |
| high | 130 FPS | 118 FPS |
| ultra | 106 FPS | 88 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 151 FPS | 156 FPS |
| medium | 120 FPS | 124 FPS |
| high | 98 FPS | 98 FPS |
| ultra | 81 FPS | 73 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 85 FPS | 69 FPS |
| medium | 73 FPS | 58 FPS |
| high | 59 FPS | 45 FPS |
| ultra | 46 FPS | 36 FPS |

Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 219 FPS | 263 FPS |
| medium | 182 FPS | 224 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 197 FPS |
| ultra | 144 FPS | 152 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 190 FPS | 218 FPS |
| medium | 162 FPS | 190 FPS |
| high | 150 FPS | 168 FPS |
| ultra | 129 FPS | 136 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 148 FPS | 161 FPS |
| medium | 130 FPS | 146 FPS |
| high | 124 FPS | 117 FPS |
| ultra | 107 FPS | 89 FPS |

League of Legends
| Preset | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| medium | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| high | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| ultra | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| medium | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| high | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| ultra | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| medium | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| high | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| ultra | 283 FPS | 239 FPS |

Valorant
| Preset | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| medium | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| high | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| ultra | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| medium | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| high | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| ultra | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| medium | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| high | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
| ultra | 283 FPS | 281 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-1250U and Ryzen 3 4300GE

Core i7-1250U
Core i7-1250U
The Core i7-1250U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 February 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-U (2022) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1781. Thermal design power (TDP): 9.5 MB + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 11,305 points. Launch price was $149.


Ryzen 3 4300GE
Ryzen 3 4300GE
The Ryzen 3 4300GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 11,239 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i7-1250U packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 4300GE offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-1250U has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-1250U versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4300GE — a 16.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-1250U (base: 1.1 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-1250U uses the Alder Lake-U (2022) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 3 4300GE uses Renoir (2020−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-1250U scores 11,305 against the Ryzen 3 4300GE's 11,239 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-1250U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 6,788 vs 5,800 (15.7% advantage for the Core i7-1250U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,600 vs 1,472, a 8.3% lead for the Core i7-1250U that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 6,500 vs 5,063 (24.9% advantage for the Core i7-1250U). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-1250U vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4300GE.
| Feature | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 10 / 12+150% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 4.7 GHz+18% | 4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.1 GHz | 3.5 GHz+218% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total)+200% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core)+150% | 512K (per core) |
| Process | Intel 7 nm | 7 nm |
| Architecture | Alder Lake-U (2022) | Renoir (2020−2023) |
| PassMark | 11,305 | 11,239 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 6,788+17% | 5,800 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,600+9% | 1,472 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 6,500+28% | 5,063 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-1250U uses the FCBGA1781 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 3 4300GE uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5200 on the Core i7-1250U versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 3 4300GE — the Core i7-1250U supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-1250U) vs 24 (Ryzen 3 4300GE) — the Ryzen 3 4300GE offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core i7-1250U) and A520,B450,B550,X470,X570 (Ryzen 3 4300GE).
| Feature | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1781 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0+67% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR5-5200+25% | DDR4-3200 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | No | Yes |
| PCIe Lanes | 20 | 24+20% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-1250U) vs Yes (Ryzen 3 4300GE). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU) (Core i7-1250U) and Radeon Vega 6 (Ryzen 3 4300GE) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-1250U targets Thin and Light Laptop.
| Feature | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU) | Radeon Vega 6 |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | Yes |
| Target Use | Thin and Light Laptop | — |
Value Analysis
The Core i7-1250U launched at $426 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 4300GE debuted at $94. On MSRP ($426 vs $94), the Ryzen 3 4300GE is $332 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-1250U delivers 26.5 pts/$ vs 119.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 4300GE — making the Ryzen 3 4300GE the 127.3% better value option.
| Feature | Core i7-1250U | Ryzen 3 4300GE |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $426 | $94-78% |
| Performance per Dollar | 26.5 | 119.6+351% |
| Release Date | 2022 | 2020 |
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