Apple M1 vs i3-7120
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-7120 and Apple M1 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 1206 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | Apple Apple M-Series |
| Architecture codename | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) | no data |
| Release date | 17 July 2017 (7 years ago) | 10 November 2020 (4 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $117 | no data |
Detailed specifications
Core i3-7120 and Apple M1 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) | 8 (Octa-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Base clock speed | 4 GHz | 2.064 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 3.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 8 GT/s | no data |
| Multiplier | 40 | no data |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 2 MB |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 16 MB |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 16 MB |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 5 nm |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 65 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | no data | 16000 Million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-7120 and Apple M1 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) | no data |
| Socket | 1151 | no data |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | no data |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-7120 and Apple M1. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
| TSX | + | - |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-7120 and Apple M1. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Dual-channel | no data |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 38.397 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Intel HD Graphics 630 | Apple M1 8-Core GPU |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-7120 and Apple M1.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Integrated graphics card | 3.11 | 14.49 |
| Recency | 17 July 2017 | 10 November 2020 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 8 |
| Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 5 nm |
Apple M1 has 365.9% faster integrated GPU, an age advantage of 3 years, 300% more physical cores and 100% more threads, and a 180% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between Core i3-7120 and Apple M1. We've got no test results to judge.
Note that Core i3-7120 is a desktop processor while Apple M1 is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-7120 and Apple M1, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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