i3-2120 vs Phenom II X2 555 BE
Primary details
Comparing Phenom II X2 555 BE and Core i3-2120 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 2305 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 98 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 0.14 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | no data | 1.79 |
| Architecture codename | Callisto (2009−2010) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| Release date | 25 January 2010 (14 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
Phenom II X2 555 BE 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 | 2 (Dual-core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 2 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 5 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 128 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 258 mm2 | 131 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 69 °C |
| Number of transistors | 758 million | 504 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Phenom II X2 555 BE 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 | 1 |
| Socket | AM3 | FCLGA1155 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 80 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Phenom II X2 555 BE 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 |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| 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
Phenom II X2 555 BE 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 Phenom II X2 555 BE 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 Phenom II X2 555 BE and Core i3-2120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 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 Phenom II X2 555 BE and Core i3-2120 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 2 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Phenom II X2 555 BE and Core i3-2120.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 25 January 2010 | 20 February 2011 |
| Threads | 2 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 80 Watt | 65 Watt |
i3-2120 has an age advantage of 1 year, 100% more threads, a 40.6% more advanced lithography process, and 23.1% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Phenom II X2 555 BE and Core i3-2120. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Phenom II X2 555 BE and Core i3-2120, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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