CPU Comparison
AMD Athlon Gold 7220C vs Intel Core i3-N305
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The AMD Athlon Gold 7220C is a 15 W, 2-core/4-thread mobile SoC for entry-level Chromebooks, based on AMD’s Mendocino (Zen 2) architecture on TSMC’s 6 nm process with integrated Radeon 610M RDNA 2 graphics and LPDDR5-5500 memory support.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Adequate for light Chrome OS multitasking and web apps, but dual-core CPU becomes a bottleneck under heavy multitab use or more demanding Android/Linux apps.
Adequate for basic office tasks and web browsing. Single-threaded tasks feel slower than on P-core-equipped chips due to Gracemont's lower IPC.
Gaming
Radeon 610M is only suitable for older or very lightweight esports titles at 1080p Low; modern AAA games are largely out of reach.
Not designed for gaming despite the better-than-expected UHD 770 iGPU. Very light casual games at low resolutions may be playable.
Virtualization
Limited CPU and memory resources make it unsuitable for running VMs; Chrome OS’s container-based approach is more realistic than traditional hypervisors.
8 threads allow for basic VMs, but single-channel memory and lack of P-cores limit practical utility.
Efficiency
Excellent efficiency for basic workloads; 6 nm process and 15 W TDP enable long battery life in thin Chromebooks.
Very efficient at idle and light loads due to the all-E-core design. The 9W configurable TDP enables fanless or near-fanless operation.
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- No dedicated NPU; AI workloads rely on CPU/iGPU.
- Suitable only for very light on-device inference tasks.
- No dedicated AI acceleration hardware
- Gracemont cores include AVX-VNNI but lack the performance for meaningful AI work
- Not suitable for AI or ML tasks
Content Creation
Gaming
- Radeon 610M with 2 RDNA 2 CUs is entry-level and best suited for older or well-optimized titles.
- Expect playable frame rates only at 1080p Low or 720p for esports games like CS2 or Valorant.
- Not intended for AAA gaming or high-refresh-rate gaming.
- Not designed for gaming
- UHD 770 (32 EUs) is better than UHD 64EU but still far from gaming-capable
- Single-channel memory severely limits graphics performance
- Older titles at lowest settings and resolutions may be marginally playable
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Modern 6 nm process with good power efficiency
- Zen 2 CPU cores offer solid single-thread performance for the segment
- RDNA 2 iGPU with AV1 decode for smooth video playback
- LPDDR5-5500 provides more memory bandwidth than typical budget Chromebook SoCs
- Low 15 W TDP enables fanless designs and long battery life
Cons
- Only two CPU cores; limited multi-thread headroom
- Radeon 610M iGPU is very weak for gaming or GPU-heavy tasks
- Only 4 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU
- Max memory officially capped at 16 GB
- No unlock multiplier; not an enthusiast part
Pros
- 8 cores provide good parallel throughput for the price
- Very low power consumption with 9W configurable TDP
- UHD Graphics 770 is better than expected for this tier
- Fully dynamic clock domains for granular power management
- Supports AVX-VNNI instruction extensions
- Enables very affordable mini PCs and Chromebooks
Cons
- No P-cores means weak single-threaded performance
- Single-channel memory halves bandwidth
- Only 9 PCIe 3.0 lanes severely limit expansion
- 6MB L3 cache is small for 8 cores
- Gracemont IPC is significantly lower than Golden Cove
- PCIe 3.0 is a generation behind the 4.0 support on U-series chips
Competitors & Alternatives
AMD Athlon Gold 7220C
- Intel Processor N100Rival
Entry-Level Chromebook / Laptop
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i3-N305Rival
Mid-Range Chromebook
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2Rival
Entry-Level Chromebook (ARM)
- MediaTek Kompanio 520Rival
Entry-Level Chromebook (ARM)
- AMD Athlon Silver 7120CRival
Entry-Level Chromebook (AMD)
- AMD Ryzen 3 7320CAlt
Same platform with four Zen 2 cores and eight threads for significantly better multi-thread performance if you need more headroom.
Intel Core i3-N305
- AMD Ryzen 3 7320URival
Budget Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 5 7520URival
Budget Mobile
- Compare head-to-headIntel Core i3-1215URival
Mainstream Mobile
- MediaTek Kompanio 1380Rival
Budget Mobile
- Intel Pentium Silver N6005Rival
Entry Mobile
Same architecture at even lower 7W TDP if maximum efficiency is the priority.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Celeron N5095Alt
Jasper Lake alternative if even lower cost is needed, though with fewer cores.
Our Verdict on Each
A modest but modern SoC that brings Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 iGPU to budget Chromebooks, offering good efficiency and decent responsiveness for light workloads, but limited by its dual-core design and weak GPU for heavier tasks.
Best for: Budget Chromebook for web-based productivity and media consumption
Read the full reviewA unique all-E-core processor that offers 8 threads of parallel performance at very low power, but the absence of any P-cores means single-threaded performance is significantly behind hybrid chips. Best suited for devices where core count marketing and power efficiency matter more than snappy responsiveness.
Best for: Budget mini PC or Chromebook purchase where 8-core parallelism at low power is valued, and single-threaded performance is not critical.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, AMD Athlon Gold 7220C or Intel Core i3-N305?
Based on our editorial ratings, the AMD Athlon Gold 7220C comes out ahead with a score of 7/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, AMD Athlon Gold 7220C or Intel Core i3-N305?
For gaming, the AMD Athlon Gold 7220C leads with a gaming performance score of 45/100 among AMD Athlon Gold 7220C and Intel Core i3-N305.
Do AMD Athlon Gold 7220C and Intel Core i3-N305 use the same socket?
No. They use different sockets (AMD Athlon Gold 7220C: FT6, Intel Core i3-N305: BGA 1264), so each needs a compatible motherboard.
Which has more cores?
The Intel Core i3-N305 has the most cores. Core counts: AMD Athlon Gold 7220C (2 cores), Intel Core i3-N305 (8 cores).