Intel’s Wildcat Lake lineup is beginning to show its direction, and the early numbers are harder to ignore than expected. The entry-level Core 3 304 has appeared in PassMark with performance that lands unusually close to Apple’s A18 Pro in MacBook Neo.
For a basic laptop processor aimed at affordable, lightweight devices, that result gives Intel an encouraging early signal. The gap is small enough to suggest that Wildcat Lake may be more competitive than its modest configuration would imply.
Single-thread performance is tighter than expected
In PassMark’s single-thread test, Apple’s A18 Pro in MacBook Neo scored 3,982 points. Intel Core 3 304 followed with 3,676 points, which places it about 7.7 percent behind.
That is a narrow margin for an entry-level chip. It suggests that the new Intel part can stay relatively close in workloads that depend on one core, at least in this early benchmark data.
Overall CPU Mark is also close
The broader CPU Mark result tells a similar story. Intel Core 3 304 recorded 11,543 points, while the A18 Pro in MacBook Neo reached 11,804 points.
That leaves Intel just slightly below Apple in the composite score. For a low-cost chip intended for thin and light laptops, the result is notable because it shows the platform has real early traction in benchmark testing.
A simple five-core setup, but an encouraging start
Core 3 304 sits at the entry level of the Wildcat Lake family and uses a five-core configuration. Only one of those cores is a performance core, which makes the benchmark showing more interesting.
The hardware structure is clearly modest, yet the measured results remain competitive. That combination may matter for buyers looking at budget laptops that still need acceptable responsiveness for everyday tasks.
The sample count is still very small
The current Core 3 304 numbers come from only three samples. That is not enough to treat the figures as final, especially because small sample sets can shift as more results appear.
For now, the benchmark should be viewed as an early indicator rather than a finished verdict. Even so, the initial showing puts Wildcat Lake in a more promising position than many entry-level chips manage at launch.
HP, Lenovo, and Chuwi are already on board
Confirmed laptops using Core 3 304 include the HP OmniBook 3, IdeaPad Slim 3i, and Chuwi UniBook. That means the chip is already moving into commercial products aimed at the affordable end of the market.
As more models arrive, the chip’s real-world standing will become clearer. If later testing tracks the same way, Wildcat Lake could become a platform worth watching in the budget laptop segment.
