i3-2120 vs i5-8400

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1109	2301
Place by popularity	68	98
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	5.15	0.14
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i5	no data
Power efficiency	8.47	1.80
Architecture codename	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	24 September 2017 (7 years ago)	20 February 2011 (13 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$182	$95

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i5-8400 has 3579% better value for money than i3-2120.

Detailed specifications

Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 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	6 (Hexa-Core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	6	4
Base clock speed	2.8 GHz	3.3 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.3 GHz
Bus type	DMI 3.0	no data
Bus rate	4 × 8 GT/s	5 GT/s
Multiplier	28	no data
L1 cache	384 KB	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	1.5 MB	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	9 MB (shared)	3 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Die size	149 mm2	131 mm2
Maximum core temperature	100 °C	69 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	no data	504 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 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	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1155
Power consumption (TDP)	65 Watt	65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX
AES-NI	+	-
AVX	+	-
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	-
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	no data	+
FDI	no data	+
Fast Memory Access	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	no data
MPX	+	-
Identity Protection	+	+
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3, DDR4	DDR3
Maximum memory size	128 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	42.671 GB/s	21 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card Compare	Intel UHD Graphics 630	Intel HD Graphics 2000
Max video memory	64 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video	+	no data
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.05 GHz	1.1 GHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

3

2

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 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 i5-8400 and Core i3-2120 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 i5-8400 and Core i3-2120.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	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.

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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	6.04	1.28
Integrated graphics card	3.09	0.55
Recency	24 September 2017	20 February 2011
Physical cores	6	2
Threads	6	4
Chip lithography	14 nm	32 nm

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-8400 and Core i3-2120, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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