5 120U vs i3-8100
Aggregate performance score
Core 5 120U outperforms Core i3-8100 by a whopping 172% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1454 | 740 |
| Place by popularity | 74 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 4.10 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | Raptor Lake-U |
| Power efficiency | 5.59 | 65.99 |
| Architecture codename | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) |
| Release date | 24 September 2017 (7 years ago) | 8 January 2024 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $117 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U 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 | 4 (Quad-Core) | 10 (Deca-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 3.6 GHz | 1.4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.6 GHz | 5 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 3.0 | no data |
| Bus rate | 4 × 8 GT/s | 55 MHz |
| Multiplier | 36 | no data |
| L1 cache | 256 KB | 80 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 1 MB | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | Intel 7 nm |
| Die size | 126 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | 100 °C | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 72 °C | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | + | no data |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U 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) | 1 |
| Socket | FCLGA1151 | FCBGA1744 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 15 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | - | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | - | + |
| TSX | - | + |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | + |
| Deep Learning Boost | - | + |
Security technologies
Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | + | + |
| MPX | + | - |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
| SGX | Yes with Intel® ME | no data |
| OS Guard | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4-2400 | DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 96 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 38.397 GB/s | no data |
| ECC memory support | + | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | Intel® Graphics |
| Max video memory | 64 GB | no data |
| Quick Sync Video | + | + |
| Clear Video | + | no data |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.1 GHz | 1.25 GHz |
| Execution Units | no data | 80 |
| InTru 3D | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 3 | 4 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | + | no data |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | 4096x2304@24Hz | 4096 x 2304 @ 60Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | 4096x2304@60Hz | 4096 x 2304 @ 120Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | 4096x2304@60Hz | 7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | 12 | 12.1 |
| OpenGL | 4.5 | 4.6 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | 8 |
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.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 3.84 | 10.46 |
| Recency | 24 September 2017 | 8 January 2024 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 10 |
| Threads | 4 | 12 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 15 Watt |
5 120U has a 172.4% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 6 years, 150% more physical cores and 200% more threads, and 333.3% lower power consumption.
The Core 5 120U is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-8100 in performance tests.
Note that Core i3-8100 is a desktop processor while Core 5 120U is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-8100 and Core 5 120U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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