Phenom II X4 980 BE vs i3-2120

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Primary details

Comparing Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking2305not rated
Place by popularity98not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.14no data
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
Power efficiency1.79no data
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge (2011−2013)Deneb (2009−2011)
Release date20 February 2011 (13 years ago)3 May 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$95no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE 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 cores2 (Dual-core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads44
Base clock speed3.3 GHz3.7 GHz
Boost clock speed3.3 GHz3.7 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/sno data
L1 cache64 KB (per core)128 KB (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)512 KB (per core)
L3 cache3 MB (shared)6 MB (shared)
Chip lithography32 nm45 nm
Die size131 mm2258 mm2
Maximum core temperature69 °Cno data
Number of transistors504 million758 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE 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 configuration11
SocketFCLGA1155AM3
Power consumption (TDP)65 Watt125 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVXno data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology-no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access+no data
FDI+no data
Fast Memory Access+no data

Security technologies

Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+no data
EDB+no data
Identity Protection+-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR3
Maximum memory size32 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth21 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 2000no data
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.1 GHzno data
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported2no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE.

PCIe version2.02.0
PCI Express lanes16no data

Pros & cons summary


Recency 20 February 2011 3 May 2011
Physical cores 2 4
Chip lithography 32 nm 45 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 65 Watt 125 Watt

i3-2120 has a 40.6% more advanced lithography process, and 92.3% lower power consumption.

Phenom II X4 980 BE, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 2 months, and 100% more physical cores.

We couldn't decide between Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE. We've got no test results to judge.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-2120 and Phenom II X4 980 BE, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i3-2120
Core i3-2120
AMD Phenom II X4 980 BE
Phenom II X4 980 BE

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Community ratings

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3.4 1687 votes

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3.9 68 votes

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Questions & comments

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