i3-2120 vs i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition outperforms Core i3-2120 by a whopping 353% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1139 | 2302 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 98 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 0.14 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7EE | no data |
| Power efficiency | 4.07 | 1.80 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| Release date | 14 November 2011 (12 years ago) | 20 February 2011 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $95 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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 | 12 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | no data | 3.3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 5 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 33 | no data |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1,536 KB | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 15 MB | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 434.72 mm2 | 131 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 69 °C |
| Number of transistors | 2270 Million | 504 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 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 | no data | FCLGA1155 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| 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 i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120 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 i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | - |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 21 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel HD Graphics 2000 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.1 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 2 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120.
| PCIe version | 2.00 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 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.
3DMark Fire Strike Physics
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 5.80 | 1.28 |
| Recency | 14 November 2011 | 20 February 2011 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 2 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-3960X Extreme Edition has a 353.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 months, and 200% more physical cores and 200% more threads.
i3-2120, on the other hand, has 100% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-2120 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition and Core i3-2120, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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