Core i5-1038NG7 vs Ryzen 3 7320U

CPU

GPU

Core i5-1038NG7

4 Cores8 Thrd28 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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Ryzen 3 7320U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2022

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-1038NG7

4 / 8

8,823

+2.3%

8,627

0.0%

FX-6350

Ryzen 3 3350U

Ryzen Embedded V1605B

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.

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 i5-1038NG7

2020

Why buy it

✅+2.3% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅300% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 7320U across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌86.7% higher power demand at 28W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1344 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 7320U moves to FT6 and DDR5.

Ryzen 3 7320U

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 28W, a 13W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1344 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,627 vs 8,823).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-1038NG7

2020

Ryzen 3 7320U

2022

Why buy it

✅+2.3% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅300% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 28W, a 13W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1344 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 7320U across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌86.7% higher power demand at 28W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1344 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 7320U moves to FT6 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (8,627 vs 8,823).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 7320U better than Core i5-1038NG7?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 3 7320U is ahead with a 7.5% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-1038NG7 pulls ahead with 2.3% better PassMark. Core i5-1038NG7 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-1038NG7 is the better fit. You are getting 2.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 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?

Ryzen 3 7320U still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 3 7320U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.5% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen 3 7320U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FT6 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1344. 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 i5-1038NG7 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 7320U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
1080p
low	166 FPS	168 FPS
medium	134 FPS	134 FPS
high	106 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	84 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	141 FPS
medium	116 FPS	111 FPS
high	90 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	65 FPS
medium	59 FPS	55 FPS
high	46 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i5-1038NG7 Open Ryzen 3 7320U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
1080p
low	125 FPS	216 FPS
medium	106 FPS	216 FPS
high	97 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	107 FPS	216 FPS
medium	93 FPS	195 FPS
high	86 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	171 FPS
medium	75 FPS	151 FPS
high	63 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	105 FPS

Open Core i5-1038NG7 Open Ryzen 3 7320U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
1080p
low	221 FPS	216 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	221 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	216 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	221 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	221 FPS	216 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	221 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core i5-1038NG7 Open Ryzen 3 7320U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
1080p
low	221 FPS	216 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	221 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	216 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	221 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	221 FPS	216 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	221 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core i5-1038NG7 Open Ryzen 3 7320U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-1038NG7 and Ryzen 3 7320U

Core i5-1038NG7

The Core i5-1038NG7 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Ice Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1344. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200, LPDDR4-3733. Passmark benchmark score: 8,823 points. Launch price was $320.

Ryzen 3 7320U

The Ryzen 3 7320U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 8,627 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-1038NG7 and Ryzen 3 7320U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-1038NG7 versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 3 7320U — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 7320U (base: 2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-1038NG7 uses the Ice Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 3 7320U uses Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-1038NG7 scores 8,823 against the Ryzen 3 7320U's 8,627 — a 2.2% lead for the Core i5-1038NG7. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,250 vs 1,213, a 3% lead for the Core i5-1038NG7 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-1038NG7 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 7320U.

Feature	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.1 GHz+8%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.4 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	10 nm	6 nm-40%
Architecture	Ice Lake-U (2019−2020)	Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022)
PassMark	8,823+2%	8,627
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	4,907
Geekbench 6 Single	1,250+3%	1,213
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,589

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-1038NG7 uses the FCBGA1344 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 7320U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR4-3733 on the Core i5-1038NG7 versus LPDDR5-5500 on the Ryzen 3 7320U — the Ryzen 3 7320U supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-1038NG7 supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-1038NG7) vs 4 (Ryzen 3 7320U) — the Core i5-1038NG7 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
Socket	FCBGA1344	FT6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR4-3733	LPDDR5-5500+25%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+300%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+300%	4

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Core i5-1038NG7 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-1038NG7) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 3 7320U). Both include integrated graphics — Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Core i5-1038NG7) and Radeon 610M (Ryzen 3 7320U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-1038NG7 targets Premium Laptop, Ryzen 3 7320U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i5-1038NG7 rivals Ryzen 7 4800U; Ryzen 3 7320U rivals Core i3-1215U.

Feature	Core i5-1038NG7	Ryzen 3 7320U
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Iris Plus Graphics G7	Radeon 610M
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Premium Laptop	Budget