Core i3-N305 vs Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

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-N305

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.8% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (9,493 vs 9,600).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i3-N305 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Core i3-N305

2023

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.8% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $309 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (9,493 vs 9,600).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core i3-N305 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-N305 better than Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is ahead with a 4.8% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-N305 pulls ahead with 1.1% better PassMark. Core i3-N305 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 i3-N305 is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 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?

Core i3-N305 is the smarter buy today. Core i3-N305 is at an unclear MSRP at $309 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 1.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.8% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (31.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i3-N305 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA1264 and DDR5 instead of FP6, 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 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-N305 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-N305	Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
1080p
low	177 FPS	172 FPS
medium	142 FPS	141 FPS
high	114 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	148 FPS
medium	115 FPS	120 FPS
high	91 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	69 FPS
medium	57 FPS	60 FPS
high	45 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i3-N305 Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-N305	Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
1080p
low	157 FPS	237 FPS
medium	135 FPS	221 FPS
high	122 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	150 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	221 FPS
medium	118 FPS	187 FPS
high	108 FPS	165 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	163 FPS
medium	97 FPS	144 FPS
high	89 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i3-N305 Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-N305	Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
1080p
low	240 FPS	237 FPS
medium	240 FPS	237 FPS
high	240 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	237 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	237 FPS
medium	240 FPS	237 FPS
high	240 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	237 FPS
4K
low	240 FPS	237 FPS
medium	240 FPS	237 FPS
high	240 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i3-N305 Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-N305	Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
1080p
low	240 FPS	237 FPS
medium	240 FPS	237 FPS
high	240 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	237 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	237 FPS
medium	240 FPS	237 FPS
high	240 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	237 FPS
4K
low	240 FPS	237 FPS
medium	240 FPS	237 FPS
high	240 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	237 FPS

Open Core i3-N305 Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-N305 and Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

Core i3-N305

The Core i3-N305 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-N (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 0.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per module). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1264. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 9,600 points. Launch price was $309.

Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U

The Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir PRO (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-4266. Passmark benchmark score: 9,493 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i3-N305 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i3-N305 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i3-N305 versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Core i3-N305 (base: 0.1 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i3-N305 uses the Alder Lake-N (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U uses Renoir PRO (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-N305 scores 9,600 against the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U's 9,493 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i3-N305. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-N305 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U.

Feature	Core i3-N305	Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+3%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	0.1 GHz	2.4 GHz+2300%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB (per module)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Alder Lake-N (2023)	Renoir PRO (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark	9,600+1%	9,493

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-N305 uses the FCBGA1264 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.