i3-7120 vs Apple M3 Pro 12-Core
Primary details
Comparing M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 420 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple M3 | Intel Core i3 |
| Power efficiency | 56.36 | no data |
| Architecture codename | no data | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) |
| Release date | 30 October 2023 (1 year ago) | 17 July 2017 (7 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $117 |
Detailed specifications
M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 12 (Dodeca-Core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.748 GHz | 4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.06 GHz | 4 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | no data | 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 40 |
| L1 cache | no data | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 14 nm |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 65 °C |
| Number of transistors | 37000 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | - |
Compatibility
Information on M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | no data | 1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 51 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| TSX | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4 Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 38.397 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Apple M3 Pro 18-Core GPU | Intel HD Graphics 630 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120.
| PCIe version | no data | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 30 October 2023 | 17 July 2017 |
| Physical cores | 12 | 2 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 51 Watt |
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core has an age advantage of 6 years, 500% more physical cores and 200% more threads, a 366.7% more advanced lithography process, and 88.9% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Apple M3 Pro 12-Core is a notebook processor while Core i3-7120 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core i3-7120, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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