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Intel Core i3-9300

Intel Core i3-9300: Budget Processor for Basic Tasks in 2025

Overview of Capabilities, Compatibility, and Use Cases

1. Key Specifications: Coffee Lake Architecture in the Age of New Technologies

The Intel Core i3-9300 processor, released in 2019, remains a popular choice for budget PCs. Despite its age, its specifications are still relevant for less demanding tasks.

Architecture and Process Technology

- Codename: Coffee Lake (14 nm).

- Cores/Threads: 4 cores, 4 threads (without Hyper-Threading).

- Cache: 8 MB L3.

- Base/Max Frequency: 3.7 GHz / 4.3 GHz (Turbo Boost).

The 14-nm process technology, once flagship for Intel, appears outdated in 2025 compared to 5-nm and 3-nm chips. However, for an entry-level processor, this is not critical: low production costs keep it competitive.

Performance

- Geekbench 6: 1388 (Single-Core), 3515 (Multi-Core).

- Integrated Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630 (basic 4K support, HDMI 1.4, DirectX 12).

For comparison: the modern Ryzen 3 7300 (Zen 4, 5 nm) scores around 1800 points in single-thread tests but costs 2-3 times more. The Core i3-9300 is suitable for working with office applications, browsing, and light games like CS:GO or Dota 2 at low settings.

Key Features

- Support for DDR4-2400.

- Energy efficiency (TDP 62 W).

- Integrated graphics chip, eliminating the need for a separate graphics card.

2. Compatible Motherboards: LGA 1151 v2 Socket and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 1151 v2 socket, but it is important not to confuse it with the first version (for 6th and 7th generation Intel CPUs). Compatible chipsets include:

- H310 / B365 / H370 / Z390.

Recommendations for Selection

- H310/B365: Budget motherboards (ASRock H310CM-HDV, Gigabyte B365M DS3H). Suitable for basic builds.

- Z390: For overclocking (but the i3-9300 does not support multiplier overclocking). An excessive option.

In 2025, new motherboards for LGA 1151 v2 are hardly being released. Prices for remaining models:

- H310: $50–$70.

- B365: $70–$90.

Important: A BIOS update may be necessary for compatibility with the processor on older boards.

3. Supported Memory: DDR4-2400 and Limitations

The Core i3-9300 works with DDR4-2400 memory (official support). The maximum capacity is 64 GB (2 modules of 32 GB).

Features

- DDR5 is not supported — this is the main downside for future upgrades.

- For everyday tasks (office, internet), 8–16 GB is sufficient.

- Example configuration: 2x8 GB DDR4-2400 (Crucial Ballistix, ~$40 for the set).

4. Power Supply: Power Calculation and Recommendations

With a TDP of 62 W, the processor does not require a powerful PSU. Even with a discrete graphics card (e.g., GTX 1650), a 400–500 W unit is sufficient.

Examples of PSUs:

- EVGA 500 W1 (500 W, 80+ White, $45).

- be quiet! System Power 10 (450 W, 80+ Bronze, $55).

Tip: Don't skimp on the PSU. Cheap models (like Apevia) can be unstable under load.

5. Pros and Cons of the Core i3-9300 in 2025

Pros:

- Low price (~$80–$100 for a new unit).

- Energy efficiency.

- Integrated graphics for office PCs.

Cons:

- No Hyper-Threading — multi-thread performance is weaker compared to Ryzen 3.

- Outdated process technology.

- Limited upgrades: the LGA 1151 v2 socket does not support new processors.

6. Use Cases: Who is the i3-9300 Suitable For?

- Office PCs: Working with documents, browsers, Zoom.

- Home Media Center: Streaming video (Netflix, YouTube 4K).

- Light Gaming: CS:GO, Minecraft, League of Legends (30–60 FPS on low settings).

- Educational Projects: Programming in Python, web development.

Real Experience: A user from Reddit built a PC with an i3-9300 + 16 GB RAM + SSD for studies. The system handles Visual Studio Code and 20+ tabs in Chrome without issues.

7. Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X (4 cores/8 threads, Zen 2):

- Pros: Better multi-thread performance (~4200 in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core).

- Cons: No integrated graphics. Price: ~$120.

Intel Core i3-10100 (4/8, Comet Lake):

- Pros: Hyper-Threading, similar price ($90–$110).

- Cons: Harder to find new units.

Conclusion: The i3-9300 falls short in multitasking but wins on price and the presence of iGPU.

8. Practical Assembly Tips

- Motherboard: Choose B365 for stability (e.g., MSI B365M Pro-VDH).

- Memory: 16 GB DDR4-2400 is the optimal option.

- Storage: An SSD is essential (Kingston A400 480 GB, $35).

- Cooling: The boxed cooler is sufficient — noise levels are within the norm.

Example Build:

- CPU: i3-9300 ($90).

- Motherboard: Gigabyte B365M DS3H ($75).

- RAM: 16 GB DDR4-2400 ($40).

- SSD: 500 GB ($35).

- PSU: EVGA 500 W1 ($45).

- Case: Deepcool MATREXX 30 ($40).

Total: ~$325.

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the Core i3-9300 Suitable For?

This processor is an ideal choice for those who:

- Are building a PC for basic tasks (office, studies, surfing).

- Are on a budget ($300–$400 for the entire build).

- Do not plan to upgrade in the next 3–4 years.

Alternative: If multi-threading is needed, consider a used Ryzen 5 2600 or a new Ryzen 3 5300G. But for simple tasks, the i3-9300 remains a reliable and economical choice even in 2025.

This article is relevant as of April 2025. Prices are for new devices in retail stores in the USA.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 2019

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.

i3-9300

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

3.70 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.30 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.

2.0

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

62 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.

DDR4-2400

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.

1.15 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.

4096 x 2304@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.

4096 x 2304@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.

4096 x 2304@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

1388

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3515

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

841

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2090

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2561

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

7137

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-1110G4

1491 +7.4%

Xeon E-2124

1442 +3.9%

Core i3-9300

1388

Core i9-9880H

1355 -2.4%

Core i5-10500E

1313 -5.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon X5670

3953 +12.5%

Core i7-6920HQ

3720 +5.8%

Core i3-9300

3515

Core i5-4670

3279 -6.7%

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE

3043 -13.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE

875 +4%

Core i7-6820HQ

859 +2.1%

Core i3-9300

841

Xeon E5-2669 v3

824 -2%

Core i5-4670T

808 -3.9%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 2200GE

2408 +15.2%

EPYC 7543P

2249 +7.6%

Core i3-9300

2090

EPYC 7302

1954 -6.5%

Core i3-4170

1823 -12.8%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i5-9500

2646 +3.3%

Xeon W-2155

2599 +1.5%

Core i3-9300

2561

EPYC 7763

2525 -1.4%

Pentium Gold G6500

2479 -3.2%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-9300H

7638 +7%

Xeon E-2124G

7413 +3.9%

Core i3-9300

7137

Xeon E3-1265L v4

6954 -2.6%

Ryzen 5 3450U

6728 -5.7%