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Intel Core i3-8300T

Intel Core i3-8300T: Review and Practical Guide for Budget Builds (2025)

Introduction

Even years after its release, Intel's 8th generation processors remain popular in the secondary market and in ready-made solutions. The Core i3-8300T, released in 2018, still draws attention for its energy efficiency and balanced performance. In this article, we will discuss who this CPU is suitable for in 2025, how to build a PC based on it, and what to pay attention to.

1. Key Specifications: Architecture and Performance

Coffee Lake Architecture

The Core i3-8300T is built on the Coffee Lake microarchitecture (14nm), which represents an improvement over Kaby Lake. Key features include:

- 4 Cores / 4 Threads — the absence of Hyper-Threading limits multitasking, but it's sufficient for basic tasks.

- Base Clock 3.2 GHz — without Turbo Boost, simplifying heat output.

- L3 Cache 8 MB — adequate for speeding up everyday applications.

Energy Efficiency

With a TDP of 35W, the processor is ideal for compact systems (mini-PCs, office builds). Even under load, it rarely consumes more than 40-45W, allowing for passive cooling or a compact cooler.

Integrated Graphics

Intel UHD Graphics 630 supports 4K@60Hz through HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2. This solution is suitable for:

- Video playback and office applications.

- Light gaming (for example, CS:GO on low settings gives 40-50 FPS).

Performance in Benchmarks

- Geekbench 6: Single-Core — 1149, Multi-Core — 3357.

- Cinebench R23: About 2500 points in multi-threaded mode.

For comparison: the modern Ryzen 3 7300 (2023) scores around 5000 points in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core but costs twice as much.

2. Compatible Motherboards

LGA 1151 v2 Socket

The processor requires motherboards based on 300 series chipsets:

- H310 / B360 — budget options without overclocking (suitable for office PCs).

- H370 / Z370 / Z390 — support for USB 3.1 Gen2, more SATA and PCIe ports.

Examples of Models (new, 2025):

- ASUS Prime H310M-K R2.0 (~$70) — minimal features, but stable performance.

- Gigabyte B360M DS3H (~$90) — 4 DIMM slots, two M.2 connectors.

Important! Due to the platform's age, new motherboards are rarely produced. Most offers are leftover stock or refurbished models.

3. Supported Memory

- Type: DDR4-2400 (officially).

- Maximum Volume: 64 GB (depends on the motherboard).

Recommendations:

- For office tasks, 8-16 GB is sufficient (for example, Kingston Fury DDR4-2400 16GB ~$40).

- If you plan to use the PC as a media center, add a second module for dual channel mode — this will improve graphics performance by 10-15%.

Limitations: No DDR5 support — future memory upgrades are impossible without replacing the platform.

4. Power Supply: How to Choose

The processor consumes up to 35W, but the total system power depends on the components:

- Without a discrete graphics card: A PSU of 250-300W is sufficient (for example, be quiet! SFX Power 3 300W ~$45).

- With a graphics card like NVIDIA GTX 1650: A PSU of 400-450W is recommended (Corsair CX450M ~$60).

Tip: Don't skimp on the PSU for stability. Even in budget builds, choose models with an 80+ Bronze certification.

5. Pros and Cons

Advantages:

- Low power consumption and heat output.

- Sufficient performance for office work and video streaming.

- Support for H.265 hardware decoding.

Disadvantages:

- Only 4 threads — weak multi-threaded performance.

- Integrated graphics are unsuitable for modern games.

- Outdated platform (no PCIe 4.0 or USB4 support).

6. Use Scenarios

Office and Study

- Working with documents, browser (20+ tabs), Zoom.

- Example: A PC based on i3-8300T, 16 GB DDR4, 512 GB SSD — ideal for remote work.

Media Center

- Connecting to a TV via HDMI, playing 4K HDR content.

- Using Kodi or Plex for streaming.

Light Gaming

- Games up to 2018: Dota 2, Overwatch (Low, 720p).

- Emulators (for example, PlayStation 2 — 60 FPS).

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X (2020)

- Pros: 4 cores / 8 threads, PCIe 4.0 support.

- Cons: Higher TDP (65W), requires a discrete graphics card.

- Price: ~$100 (new AM4 motherboards are still available).

Intel Core i3-12100T (2022)

- Pros: Alder Lake architecture, 8 threads, DDR5.

- Cons: Higher price (~$130), requires LGA 1700 motherboard.

Conclusion: In 2025, the i3-8300T lags behind newer models, but excels in price (new CPUs start at $60).

8. Assembly Tips

1. Case: Choose compact models (Fractal Design Node 304) to save space.

2. Cooling: Even the box cooler will suffice — for example, Intel E97379-003 (~$15).

3. Storage: SSD is a must (Crucial P3 1TB ~$50) — an HDD will slow down the system.

4. Upgrade: If you plan to add a graphics card, get a PSU with headroom.

Example Build (price ~$300 without peripherals):

- CPU: i3-8300T ($60)

- Motherboard: ASUS H310M-K ($70)

- Memory: 16 GB DDR4 ($40)

- SSD: 512 GB NVMe ($50)

- PSU: 400W 80+ Bronze ($55)

- Case: Mini-Tower ($25).

9. Final Conclusion: Who Is the i3-8300T For?

This processor is worth considering if:

- You need a cheap PC for office work, study, or a home theater.

- Quiet operation and low power consumption are important.

- There are no demands for modern gaming and heavy applications.

Alternatives: If your budget allows, add $40–60 and get a Ryzen 5 5500 (6 cores) or Core i3-13100T — they are more relevant and will provide future-proofing.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i3-8300T in 2025 is a niche solution for specific tasks. It is not suitable for gamers or designers, but serves as an excellent foundation for a budget system where reliability and minimalism are important. With careful selection of components, such a PC can last another 3-4 years without upgrades.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2018

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.

i3-8300T

Code Name

Coffee 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

3.20 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.

L3 Cache

8 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

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

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

82°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.

DDR4-2400

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).

37.5 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® UHD 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.

1.10 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.

8 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

1149

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3357

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

796

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2510

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2001

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

5733

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon E5-2699A v4

1214 +5.7%

Core i3-8145U

1177 +2.4%

Core i3-8300T

1149

Core i5-6402P

1108 -3.6%

Core i7-4610M

1075 -6.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i7-4770

3815 +13.6%

Core i5-6600

3579 +6.6%

Core i3-8300T

3357

Core i5-7440HQ

3101 -7.6%

Core i3-10305T

2931 -12.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-3770

827 +3.9%

Xeon E3-1280 v2

811 +1.9%

Core i3-8300T

796

Core i3-4160

778 -2.3%

Core i7-2860QM

756 -5%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E3-1240L v5

2762 +10%

Ryzen 3 1200

2644 +5.3%

Core i3-8300T

2510

Xeon E7-8890 v2

2366 -5.7%

Core i3-1005G1

2195 -12.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-8550U

2054 +2.6%

Xeon Gold 6140

2032 +1.5%

Core i3-8300T

2001

Xeon E5-2618L v4

1973 -1.4%

Ryzen 5 3500U

1950 -2.5%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i7-4760HQ

6300 +9.9%

Ryzen 3 2200GE

6056 +5.6%

Core i3-8300T

5733

Core i7-4785T

5501 -4%

Xeon E3-1220 v3

5200 -9.3%