Athlon X4 970 vs i3-3120M

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i3-3120M
2012
2 cores / 4 threads, 35 Watt
1.07
Athlon X4 970
2017
4 cores / 4 threads, 65 Watt
1.66
+55.1%

Athlon X4 970 outperforms Core i3-3120M by an impressive 55% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking24272076
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Market segmentLaptopDesktop processor
SeriesIntel Core i3no data
Power efficiency2.892.42
Architecture codenameIvy Bridge (2012−2013)Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
Release date30 September 2012 (12 years ago)27 July 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$160no data

Detailed specifications

Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970 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 cores2 (Dual-core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads44
Base clock speed2.5 GHz3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed2.5 GHz4 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/sno data
L1 cache64K (per core)128 KB (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)512 KB (per core)
L3 cache3 MB (shared)0 KB
Chip lithography22 nm28 nm
Die size118 mm2246 mm2
Maximum core temperature90C (PGA); 105C (BGA)no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)no data74 °C
Number of transistorsno data1,178 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970 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 configuration11
SocketFCBGA1023,FCPGA988AM4
Power consumption (TDP)35 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® AVXno data
AES-NI-+
FMA-+
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
My WiFi+no data
Turbo Boost Technology-no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access+no data
Demand Based Switching-no data
FDI+no data
Fast Memory Access+no data

Security technologies

Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data
Identity Protection+-
Anti-Theft+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970 are enumerated here.

AMD-V++
VT-d-no data
VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size32 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth25.6 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 4000no data
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.1 GHzno data
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported3no data
eDP+no data
DisplayPort+-
HDMI+-
SDVO+no data
CRT+no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970.

PCIe version2.0no data
PCI Express lanes16no data

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.

i3-3120M 1.07
Athlon X4 970 1.66
+55.1%

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.

i3-3120M 1695
Athlon X4 970 2644
+56%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 1.07 1.66
Recency 30 September 2012 27 July 2017
Physical cores 2 4
Chip lithography 22 nm 28 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 35 Watt 65 Watt

i3-3120M has a 27.3% more advanced lithography process, and 85.7% lower power consumption.

Athlon X4 970, on the other hand, has a 55.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 years, and 100% more physical cores.

The Athlon X4 970 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-3120M in performance tests.

Be aware that Core i3-3120M is a notebook processor while Athlon X4 970 is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-3120M and Athlon X4 970, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i3-3120M
Core i3-3120M
AMD Athlon X4 970
Athlon X4 970

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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