i3-8121U vs i7-990X
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-990X outperforms Core i3-8121U by an impressive 63% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1307 | 1686 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.22 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | no data | Intel Core i3 |
| Power efficiency | 3.28 | 9.33 |
| Architecture codename | Gulftown (2010−2011) | Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) |
| Release date | 24 February 2011 (13 years ago) | 5 May 2018 (6 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1,104 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U 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 | 3.46 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.73 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | OPI |
| Bus rate | 6.4 GT/s | 4 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 22 |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 64K (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| L3 cache | 12 MB (shared) | 4 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | 239 mm2 | 123 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 68 °C | 105 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 1,170 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U 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 | FCLGA1366,LGA1366 | Intel BGA1440 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 15 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| vPro | no data | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| QuickAssist | no data | - |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| My WiFi | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | + |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | + |
| Smart Response | no data | + |
| Demand Based Switching | - | - |
| PAE | 36 Bit | no data |
| HD Audio | no data | + |
| RST | no data | + |
Security technologies
Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | - |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | - | + |
| SGX | no data | - |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| VT-i | no data | - |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR4 |
| Maximum memory size | 24 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | 3 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 38.397 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Iris Pro Plus |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 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.
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.
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.
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.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 4.51 | 2.76 |
| Recency | 24 February 2011 | 5 May 2018 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 2 |
| Threads | 12 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 15 Watt |
i7-990X has a 63.4% higher aggregate performance score, and 200% more physical cores and 200% more threads.
i3-8121U, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 7 years, a 220% more advanced lithography process, and 766.7% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-990X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-8121U in performance tests.
Note that Core i7-990X is a desktop processor while Core i3-8121U is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-990X and Core i3-8121U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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