Core 2 Quad Q9550s vs Core i3-2120

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2307	not rated
Place by popularity	98	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.14	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	1.79	no data
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Yorkfield (2007−2009)
Release date	20 February 2011 (13 years ago)	27 January 2009 (15 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$95	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s 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	2 (Dual-core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	4	4
Base clock speed	3.3 GHz	2.83 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.3 GHz	0.83 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	1333 MHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	12 MB (shared)
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	0 KB
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm
Die size	131 mm2	2x 107 mm2
Maximum core temperature	69 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	76 °C
Number of transistors	504 million	820 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
VID voltage range	no data	0.85V-1.3625V

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s 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	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1155	LGA775
Power consumption (TDP)	65 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	-	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
FSB parity	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Identity Protection	+	-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s are enumerated here.

VT-d	-	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR1, DDR2, DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	no data
Max memory channels	2	no data
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 2000	On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.1 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

2

no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	no data

Pros & cons summary

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Recency	20 February 2011	27 January 2009
Physical cores	2	4
Chip lithography	32 nm	45 nm

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-2120 and Core 2 Quad Q9550s, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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