i7-9700 vs i3-8120
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 900 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 8.72 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | Intel Core i7 |
| Power efficiency | no data | 12.17 |
| Architecture codename | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) |
| Release date | 1 September 2018 (6 years ago) | 23 April 2019 (5 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $323 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 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) | 8 (Octa-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Base clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 4.7 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 3.0 | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | 4 × 8 GT/s | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 36 |
| L1 cache | 256 KB | 512 KB |
| L2 cache | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 12 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 126 mm2 | 178 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 72 °C | 72 °C |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 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 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | 1151 | FCLGA1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | - |
| TSX | - | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| SIPP | - | + |
Security technologies
Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | - | + |
| Identity Protection | - | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Dual-channel | DDR4 |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 38.397 GB/s | 42.671 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 |
| Max video memory | no data | 64 GB |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.2 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 3 |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | no data | + |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096 x 2304@24Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 4096 x 2304@60Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 4096 x 2304@60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 1 September 2018 | 23 April 2019 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 8 |
| Threads | 4 | 8 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 51 Watt | 65 Watt |
i3-8120 has 27.5% lower power consumption.
i7-9700, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 7 months, and 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-8120 and Core i7-9700, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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