5 120U vs i5-2520M

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2196	737
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Market segment	Laptop	Laptop
Series	Intel Core i5	Raptor Lake-U
Power efficiency	3.80	66.08
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024)
Release date	1 February 2011 (13 years ago)	8 January 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$225	no data

Detailed specifications

Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U 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)	10 (Deca-Core)
Threads	4	12
Base clock speed	2.5 GHz	1.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.2 GHz	5 GHz
Bus type	DMI 2.0	no data
Bus rate	4 × 5 GT/s	55 MHz
Multiplier	25	no data
L1 cache	128 KB	80 KB (per core)
L2 cache	512 KB	1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	149 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	100 °C
Number of transistors	624 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U 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 (Uniprocessor)	1
Socket	PPGA988	FCBGA1744
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
FMA	+	-
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
My WiFi	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	+
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
Identity Protection	+	-
OS Guard	no data	+
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	-
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267
Maximum memory size	16 GB	96 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21.335 GB/s	no data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 3000	Intel® Graphics
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.3 GHz	1.25 GHz
Execution Units	no data	80
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	2	4
eDP	+	no data
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
SDVO	+	no data
CRT	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4096 x 2304 @ 60Hz
Max resolution over eDP	no data	4096 x 2304 @ 120Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	12.1
OpenGL	no data	4.6

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U.

PCIe version	2.0	4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	8

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	1.46	10.87
Recency	1 February 2011	8 January 2024
Physical cores	2	10
Threads	4	12
Power consumption (TDP)	35 Watt	15 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-2520M and Core 5 120U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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