Ryzen 5 3600X vs i3-2120

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2318	687
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.14	18.92
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	no data	AMD Ryzen 5
Power efficiency	1.78	11.35
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Matisse (2019−2020)
Release date	20 February 2011 (13 years ago)	7 July 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$95	$249

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 3600X has 13414% better value for money than i3-2120.

Detailed specifications

Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X 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)	6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads	4	12
Base clock speed	3.3 GHz	3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.3 GHz	4.4 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	96K (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	512K (per core)
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	32 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Die size	131 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	69 °C	no data
Number of transistors	504 million	4,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X 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 (Uniprocessor)
Socket	FCLGA1155	AM4
Power consumption (TDP)	65 Watt	95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X. 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
AES-NI	-	+
AVX	-	+
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
Precision Boost 2	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X 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 Ryzen 5 3600X 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 Ryzen 5 3600X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size	32 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	51.196 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 2000	-
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	-
Graphics max frequency	1.1 GHz	-
InTru 3D	+	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

2

-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X.

PCIe version	2.0	no data
PCI Express lanes	16	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	1.23	11.45
Recency	20 February 2011	7 July 2019
Physical cores	2	6
Threads	4	12
Chip lithography	32 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	65 Watt	95 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-2120 and Ryzen 5 3600X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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