Apple M2 Max vs i3-3120ME
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | not rated | 372 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Series | no data | Apple M-Series |
| Architecture codename | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | no data |
| Release date | 1 August 2012 (12 years ago) | 17 January 2023 (1 year ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max 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) | 12 (Dodeca-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 2.4 GHz | 2.424 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2.4 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 3.3 MB |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 36 MB |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 48 MB |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 5 nm |
| Die size | 118 mm2 | no data |
| Number of transistors | no data | 67000 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | no data |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max 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 | no data |
| Socket | Intel BGA1023 | no data |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 79 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max are enumerated here.
| VT-x | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | unknown Dual-channel | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD 4000 | Apple M2 Max 38-Core GPU |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 1 August 2012 | 17 January 2023 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 12 |
| Threads | 4 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 5 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 79 Watt |
i3-3120ME has 125.7% lower power consumption.
Apple M2 Max, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 10 years, 500% more physical cores and 200% more threads, and a 340% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-3120ME and Apple M2 Max, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
