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Intel Core i3-6300

Intel Core i3-6300: Review of an Outdated Yet Relevant Budget Processor (2025)

Introduction

Even nearly a decade after its release (2015), the Intel Core i3-6300 remains a popular choice for ultrabudget PCs. But is it worth purchasing in 2025? Let's delve into the details.

1. Key Specifications: Skylake Architecture and Its Legacy

Architecture and Process Technology

The processor is built on the Skylake microarchitecture (6th generation Intel Core) using a 14 nm process technology. This is the first generation to fully transition to DDR4 and has improved IPC (instructions per clock) by 5-10% compared to the previous Broadwell generation. However, by 2025, 14 nm seems archaic compared to 7 nm (AMD Ryzen 5000/7000) and 10 nm (Intel Alder Lake/Raptor Lake).

Performance

- 2 cores / 4 threads with a base frequency of 3.8 GHz (no turbo boost).

- Geekbench 6: 1230 (Single-Core) / 2494 (Multi-Core).

- L3 Cache: 4 MB.

For comparison: the modern budget Intel Core i3-13100 (4 cores / 8 threads, 12th generation) scores ~2200/8000 in Geekbench 6. The gap is significant, but the i3-6300 still handles basic tasks.

Key Features

- Intel HD Graphics 530 — integrated graphics roughly equivalent to a GeForce GT 730 (suitable for YouTube 1080p, Dota 2 on low settings).

- Support for DirectX 12 and 4K output via HDMI/DisplayPort (with a motherboard that has the required ports).

- TDP 51 W — energy efficiency is higher than many modern processors.

2. Compatible Motherboards: Searching the Second Hand Market

Socket and Chipsets

- LGA 1151 Socket (first revision, not compatible with Intel's 8th-9th generations!).

- Chipsets: H110, B150, H170, Z170.

Recommendations:

- For Office PCs: H110 — minimal ports, but inexpensive (new boards are rare, priced at $40-60).

- For Upgrades: B150 — 4 DDR4 slots, supports M.2 NVMe (via adapters). Example: ASUS B150M-A.

- For Enthusiasts: Z170 — memory overclocking (but the CPU itself cannot be overclocked).

Important! Most new motherboards for LGA 1151 have been discontinued. Look for leftovers from small sellers or used ones (new boards start at $70).

3. Memory: Only DDR4, but with Caveats

- Type: DDR4-2133 MHz (officially). No support for DDR5!

- Maximum Capacity: Up to 64 GB (theoretically), but motherboards typically limit this to 32 GB.

Tip: Use dual-channel mode (2 modules of 8 GB DDR4-2133) for a 15-20% performance boost in games and rendering.

4. Power Supply: Minimizing Costs

- Power Calculation:

- CPU: 51 W.

- Graphics Card (e.g., GTX 1650): 75 W.

- Other components: ~50 W.

Total: 51 + 75 + 50 = 176 W.

Recommendations:

- Without a discrete graphics card: PSU rated at 300 W (e.g., FSP Hyper 300).

- With a graphics card: 450-500 W (Corsair CX450, priced at $55).

Important! Do not skimp on the power supply — older models with low efficiency can damage components.

5. Pros and Cons: Who Is It Relevant For in 2025?

Pros:

- Price: New processors — $50-70 (only leftovers), used ones — $20-30.

- Energy Efficiency: Ideal for passive cooling PCs.

- Graphics: HD 530 handles basic tasks competently.

Cons:

- 2 Cores: Multitasking is limited (Chrome + Zoom + Word = 100% load).

- Outdated Platform: Lacks PCIe 4.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2.

- No Windows 12 Support: Only compatible with Windows 10/11 (officially).

6. Use Scenarios: Where Is There Sufficient Power?

- Office Tasks: Word, Excel, browser with 5-10 tabs.

- Multimedia: Watching 4K video (with hardware decoding), streaming.

- Light Gaming: CS:GO (60 FPS on low), Minecraft, GTA V (720p).

- Servers: NAS or home media server thanks to low TDP.

Real Experience: A Reddit user built a budget PC on the i3-6300 for study (SSD 256 GB, 8 GB DDR4) — the system has been running smoothly for 5 years.

7. Competitors: Comparison with Analogues

- Intel Pentium Gold G6400 (2020, 2 cores / 4 threads):

- Pros: New architecture (Comet Lake), priced at $70.

- Cons: Weaker in single-threaded tasks (Geekbench 6 Single-Core ~1100).

- AMD Ryzen 3 3200G (2019, 4 cores / 4 threads):

- Pros: Integrated Vega 8 graphics (twice as powerful as HD 530), priced at $90.

- Cons: Higher TDP (65 W), requires an AM4 motherboard.

Conclusion: The i3-6300 only excels when priced below $50. In all other cases, it’s better to opt for the Ryzen 3 3200G.

8. Assembly Tips: How to Avoid Mistakes

1. SSD is Essential: Kingston A400 240 GB ($25) reduces system boot time from 40 seconds (HDD) to 10 seconds.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, consider the Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 ($20).

3. Upgrading: Don't plan on upgrades — the LGA 1151 socket is dead. Assemble the PC "as is."

4. Check BIOS: If purchasing a used motherboard, update the firmware for compatibility.

9. Conclusion: Who Is the i3-6300 Suitable for in 2025?

This processor should be considered only in two cases:

1. Ultrabudget Build (up to $200) for office use, study, or a server.

2. Upgrade of an Old PC (if you already have an LGA 1151 motherboard).

Alternative: For $100-150, you can assemble a system based on the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (6 cores / 12 threads) with future-proofing. However, if the budget is strictly limited — the i3-6300 will still serve you.

Final Thoughts: The Intel Core i3-6300 in 2025 is a choice for frugal but non-demanding users. Its time has passed, but the market for ultrabudget PCs is still alive.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

September 2015

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i3-6300

Code Name

SkyLake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

3.80 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

L3 Cache

4 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCLGA1151

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

51 W

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-1866/2133 | DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

64 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

34.1 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Yes

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® HD Graphics 530

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.15 GHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (VGA)

N/A

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

4 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1230

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2494

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

826

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1775

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2300

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

4349

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i5-10500E

1313 +6.7%

EPYC 7272

1272 +3.4%

Core i3-6300

1230

Xeon E5-1650 v4

1188 -3.4%

Athlon Gold 7220U

1162 -5.5%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E5-2660 v2

3008 +20.6%

Core i3-1115G4E

2754 +10.4%

Core i3-6300

2494

Ryzen 3 3300U

2274 -8.8%

Xeon E7-8880 v2

2064 -17.2%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-4670S

862 +4.4%

Core i7-6700HQ

847 +2.5%

Core i3-6300

826

Core i3-4150

810 -1.9%

Core i5-7287U

793 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 3300U

2063 +16.2%

Core i3-7101TE

1930 +8.7%

Core i3-6300

1775

Core i7-5650U

1649 -7.1%

A10-5700

1558 -12.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon Gold 5317

2361 +2.7%

Xeon E3-1260L

2323 +1%

Core i3-6300

2300

Core i5-1035G7

2266 -1.5%

Xeon Silver 4314

2238 -2.7%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-4440

4761 +9.5%

Athlon 240GE

4534 +4.3%

Core i3-6300

4349

Core i7-7660U

4100 -5.7%

Ryzen Embedded R2312

3865 -11.1%