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Intel Core i3-7300

Intel Core i3-7300: Review and Relevance in 2025

Kaby Lake Architecture for Budget PCs

Key Specs: What the "Old Timer" Hides

The Intel Core i3-7300, released in 2017, belongs to the seventh generation (Kaby Lake). Despite its age, it remains niche in popularity due to low power consumption and availability in the secondary market.

Architecture and Process:

- 14 nm Process: By modern standards (2025), this is an outdated norm, but it is still functional for basic tasks.

- 2 Cores / 4 Threads: Hyper-Threading allows for efficient load distribution in multitasking scenarios.

- Base Frequency of 4.0 GHz: The high clock speed compensates for the small number of cores in single-threaded applications.

- L3 Cache of 4 MB: Modest size, but sufficient for office applications and light gaming.

- TDP of 51 W: Low power consumption simplifies the choice of cooling system and power supply.

Performance (Geekbench 6):

- Single-Core: 1283 — Level similar to budget modern CPUs like the Intel Celeron G6900 (~1350 points).

- Multi-Core: 2581 — Weaker even than cheap 4-core processors, such as the AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (~4200 points).

Key Features:

- Support for Intel HD Graphics 630 — integrated graphics for less demanding games (e.g., CS:GO on low settings).

- Intel Quick Sync Video technology — accelerated video encoding for streaming or editing.

Compatible Motherboards: How to Make the Right Choice

LGA 1151 Socket: This is the first version of the connector, which is not compatible with 300-series chipsets (Coffee Lake).

Recommended Chipsets:

- H270 / B250 — optimal for building office PCs.

- Z270 — for enthusiasts wanting to overclock RAM (the CPU itself does not support overclocking).

Selection Features:

- Check the BIOS version: older boards may require an update to work with Kaby Lake.

- Avoid H310/Q370 chipsets — they are intended for Coffee Lake and are physically incompatible.

Model Examples (2025):

- ASUS Prime B250M-K (new — $70-90): a compact board with HDMI and M.2 slot.

- Gigabyte H270-HD3 (new — $80-100): supports RAID and USB 3.1 Gen2.

Supported Memory: DDR4 as the Standard

- Memory Type: Only DDR4. DDR5 and LPDDR4x are not supported.

- Frequencies: Up to 2400 MHz (officially). Some Z270 boards can be overclocked to 2666 MHz.

- Recommended Size: 8-16 GB. For Windows 11 and modern browsers, 8 GB is the necessary minimum.

Example Configuration:

- 2x8 GB DDR4-2400 (example: Kingston Fury — $35 per module).

Power Supplies: Calculating for a Modest Appetite

With a TDP of 51 W, the processor does not require a powerful PSU, but it is important to consider other components:

- System without a discrete graphics card: A PSU of 300-400 W is sufficient (for example, be quiet! System Power 10 — $45).

- With a graphics card like NVIDIA GTX 1650: A PSU of 450-500 W (Corsair CX450 — $55).

Tips:

- Choose units with an 80+ Bronze certification for stability.

- Don’t skimp on quality: cheap PSUs can damage components.

Pros and Cons: Who Should Consider It

Pros:

- Low price ($80-100 new, if found in stock).

- Energy efficiency — suitable for mini-PCs and HTPCs.

- Integrated graphics — no need to spend on a graphics card.

Cons:

- 2 cores — multitasking tasks (rendering, streaming) can be challenging.

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0 — SSDs and graphics cards won’t unleash their full potential.

- Limited upgrade options: maximum is the Core i7-7700K, which is already outdated.

Use Cases: Where the i3-7300 is Still Relevant

1. Office Tasks: Working with documents, browsing (10-15 tabs), Zoom.

2. Multimedia: Watching 4K video via HDMI 2.0, streaming Netflix.

3. Light Gaming: Dota 2, Minecraft, indie projects on integrated graphics (30-50 FPS).

4. Home Server: NAS or media center based on Linux.

Real Example:

A user built a PC with i3-7300 + 16 GB RAM + SSD for remote work. The system handles Office 365, browsing, and video conferencing, but “stutters” when Photoshop and Chrome are run simultaneously.

Comparison with Competitors: Who's Better in 2025?

1. AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (2017):

- 4 cores / 4 threads, but lower frequency (3.1 GHz).

- Multi-Core in Geekbench 6 — ~2700.

- Plus: upgrade option to Ryzen 5000 on AM4.

2. Intel Pentium Gold G7400 (2023):

- 2 cores / 4 threads, 12 nm, Single-Core — ~1500.

- Price: $90-100. Conclusion: better to get this if you want warranty and new technology.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Case Selection: Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX for compactness (example: Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L — $60).

2. Storage: Definitely an SSD (Kingston A400 480 GB — $40).

3. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, get a Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 V2 ($25).

4. Networking: If Wi-Fi is needed, add a PCIe adapter (TP-Link Archer TX50E — $35).

Conclusion: Who Should Consider the Core i3-7300 in 2025?

This processor should be considered only in cases like:

- Ultra-Budget Build: When you need a PC “here and now” for $200-300.

- Upgrading an Old PC: Replacing an outdated Pentium on the LGA 1151 platform.

- Special Projects: Retro gaming, terminals, or educational stations.

Alternative: For the same $100-150, you can find a used Ryzen 5 2600 (6 cores) or a new Intel N100 (energy-efficient but weaker in single-core performance).

If you are not ready to deal with the limitations of two cores, it is better to choose modern budget CPUs — even in 2025, they offer a better price-to-performance ratio.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2017

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.

i3-7300

Code Name

Kaby Lake

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

4.00 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

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

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.

DDR4-2133/2400 | 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

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

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics 630

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

Number of Displays Supported

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

1283

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

2581

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

921

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2007

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2405

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

4530

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon Gold 6238R

1366 +6.5%

Xeon W-2191B

1324 +3.2%

Core i3-7300

1283

Ryzen 3 4300U

1243 -3.1%

Core i7-5930K

1203 -6.2%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E7-8870

3059 +18.5%

Ryzen 3 3200GE

2875 +11.4%

Core i3-7300

2581

Core i5-10210Y

2380 -7.8%

Xeon E5-2418L

2130 -17.5%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E3-1230 v3

957 +3.9%

Xeon Gold 5217

936 +1.6%

Core i3-7300

921

Ryzen 3 2200G

902 -2.1%

Ryzen 3 3200GE

887 -3.7%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E3-1235L v5

2327 +15.9%

Pentium Gold G6405

2148 +7%

Core i3-7300

2007

Core i7-6567U

1884 -6.1%

Xeon E5603

1733 -13.7%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E-2176M

2468 +2.6%

EPYC 9754

2437 +1.3%

Core i3-7300

2405

Xeon Gold 6240R

2370 -1.5%

Ryzen 5 PRO 3350GE

2340 -2.7%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-3630QM

5122 +13.1%

Core i7-2960XM

4760 +5.1%

Core i3-7300

4530

Core i3-7100

4342 -4.2%

Core i5-2550K

4099 -9.5%