i7-990X Extreme Edition vs i3-8120
Primary details
Comparing Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i3 | Intel Core i7EE |
| Architecture codename | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Westmere (2010−2011) |
| Release date | 1 September 2018 (6 years ago) | 13 February 2011 (13 years ago) |
Detailed specifications
Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition 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) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 3.7 GHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 3.46 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 3.0 | QPI |
| Bus rate | 4 × 8 GT/s | 6.4 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 26 |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | no data |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 1.5 MB |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 12 MB |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 126 mm2 | 239 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 72 °C | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition 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 | no data |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 130 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Dual-channel | no data |
| Maximum memory size | 64 GB | 24 GB |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 38.397 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 1 September 2018 | 13 February 2011 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 6 |
| Threads | 4 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 130 Watt |
i3-8120 has an age advantage of 7 years, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 100% lower power consumption.
i7-990X Extreme Edition, on the other hand, has 50% more physical cores and 200% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-8120 and Core i7-990X Extreme Edition, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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