Core i3-3120M vs Core i3-7020U
Aggregated performance score
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by an impressive 52% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1958 | 2284 |
| Place by popularity | 85 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | Intel Core i3 |
| Architecture codename | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| Release date | 30 August 2016 (7 years ago) | 30 September 2012 (11 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $281 | $160 |
| Current price | $553 (2x MSRP) | $206 (1.3x MSRP) |
Detailed specifications
Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M 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) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.3 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2.3 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| L1 cache | 128 KB | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512 KB | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 3 MB | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 22 nm |
| Die size | no data | 118 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 100 °C | 90C (PGA); 105C (BGA) |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M 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 | FCBGA1356,FC-BGA1356,FPBGA1356 | FCBGA1023,FCPGA988 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 15 Watt | 35 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 | Intel® AVX |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Speed Shift | + | no data |
| My WiFi | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | - | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | + |
| TSX | - | no data |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Flex Memory Access | + | + |
| SIPP | - | no data |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
| FDI | no data | + |
| Fast Memory Access | no data | + |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | - |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | + | no data |
| MPX | + | no data |
| Identity Protection | + | + |
| SGX | Yes with Intel® ME | no data |
| OS Guard | + | no data |
| Anti-Theft | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | + |
| VT-d | + | - |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 34.1 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Intel HD Graphics 620 | Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
| Max video memory | 32 GB | no data |
| Quick Sync Video | + | + |
| Clear Video | + | no data |
| Clear Video HD | + | + |
| Graphics max frequency | 1 GHz | 1.1 GHz |
| InTru 3D | + | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 3 | 3 |
| eDP | + | + |
| DisplayPort | + | + |
| HDMI | + | + |
| DVI | + | no data |
| SDVO | no data | + |
| CRT | no data | + |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | + | no data |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | 4096x2304@24Hz | no data |
| Max resolution over eDP | 4096x2304@60Hz | no data |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | 4096x2304@60Hz | no data |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | 12 | no data |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 12 | 16 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
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.
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 52% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 52% in Passmark.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 87% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 79% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core
Cinebench R10 is an ancient ray tracing benchmark for processors by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. Its single core version uses just one CPU thread to render a futuristic looking motorcycle.
Benchmark coverage: 20%
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 5% in Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core.
Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 10 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R10 using all the processor threads. Possible number of threads is limited by 16 in this version.
Benchmark coverage: 19%
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 18% in Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core.
TrueCrypt AES
TrueCrypt is a discontinued piece of software that was widely used for on-the-fly-encryption of disk partitions, now superseded by VeraCrypt. It contains several embedded performance tests, one of them being TrueCrypt AES, which measures data encryption speed using AES algorithm. Result is encryption speed in gigabytes per second.
Benchmark coverage: 13%
Core i3-7020U outperforms Core i3-3120M by 460% in TrueCrypt AES.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.66 | 1.09 |
| Integrated graphics card | 2.42 | 1.17 |
| Recency | 30 August 2016 | 30 September 2012 |
| Cost | $281 | $160 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 22 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 15 Watt | 35 Watt |
The Core i3-7020U is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-3120M in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-7020U and Core i3-3120M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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