Intel Core i5-8600K vs Intel Core i3-10300

Processor comparisons   18-02-2022
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i5-8600K vs Intel Core i3-10300 tests and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, programming, video editing, streaming, machine learning. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as SuperPi, AIDA64, 7zip, MATLAB, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Blender, WPrime, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, Furmark, Blender.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Apex Legends
Borderlands 3
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Valorant
Halo Infinite
Fortnite
Death Stranding
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Grand Theft Auto V
Rainbow Six Siege
Valheim
Cyberpunk 2077
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Watch Dogs Legion
Overwatch
DOOM: Eternal
Last Man Standing
Red Dead Redemption 2

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-10300 or Intel Core i5-8600K.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i5-8600K

53%

Core i3-10300

52%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-8600K is 1% better than Core i3-10300. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8600K

53%

Core i3-10300

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Control, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.9	93.0
Valorant	106.7	105.7
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	59.2
Apex Legends	100.3	99.4
Call of Duty Warzone	80.0	79.3
Overwatch	86.4	85.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.6	72.9
DOOM Eternal	53.3	52.9
Warzone	83.2	82.5
Assassin's Creed	89.6	88.8
Valheim	88.5	87.7

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-8600K

41%

Core i3-10300

63%

To make a finishing resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-10300 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8600K since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i3-10300
Cinbench 15 Single-core	183	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1040	1037
Cinbench 20 Single-core	406	462
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2181	2353
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1318	1208
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7339	4690

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i3-10300
Single-Core	2600	2685
Multi-Core	10237	9387

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i3-10300
Single-Core	1191	1238
Multi-Core	5753	4924

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-8600K	Intel Core i3-10300
Announcement date	October 12, 2017	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1200
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	10
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	4
Threads	6	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	9 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-10300 is 2% better than Core i5-8600K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-8600K has 2 more core than Core i3-10300. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8600K is better: 18
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-10300 is better: 11
Although it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-8600K and Intel Core i3-10300 before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-8600K - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-8600K specs and review.

Intel Core i3-10300 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-10300 specs and review.