i3-3120ME vs i5-3230M
Primary details
Comparing Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2089 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Laptop |
| Series | Intel Core i5 | no data |
| Power efficiency | 4.35 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| Release date | 1 January 2013 (11 years ago) | 1 August 2012 (12 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $225 | no data |
Detailed specifications
Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME 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) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.6 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | no data |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 22 nm |
| Die size | 118 mm2 | 118 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 105 °C | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME 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 | 1 |
| Socket | FCPGA988 | Intel BGA1023 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 35 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® AVX | no data |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| My WiFi | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | + |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | - |
| Flex Memory Access | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | no data |
| FDI | + | no data |
| Fast Memory Access | + | no data |
Security technologies
Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | no data |
| EDB | + | no data |
| Secure Key | + | no data |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
| Anti-Theft | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | - |
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | unknown Dual-channel |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 4000 | Intel HD 4000 |
| Quick Sync Video | + | - |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.1 GHz | no data |
| InTru 3D | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 3 | no data |
| eDP | + | no data |
| DisplayPort | + | - |
| HDMI | + | - |
| SDVO | + | no data |
| CRT | + | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | no data |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 1 January 2013 | 1 August 2012 |
i5-3230M has an age advantage of 5 months.
We couldn't decide between Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-3230M and Core i3-3120ME, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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