i3-3240 vs Phenom II X3 720 BE
Primary details
Comparing Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 2156 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 2.62 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | no data | 2.52 |
| Architecture codename | Heka (2009−2010) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| Release date | 9 February 2009 (15 years ago) | 3 September 2012 (12 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $75 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240 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 | 3 (Tri-Core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 3 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.8 GHz | 3.4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2.8 GHz | 3.4 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 5 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 128 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512 KB (per core) | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 22 nm |
| Die size | 258 mm2 | 94 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 65 °C |
| Number of transistors | 758 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240 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 | AM3 | FCLGA1155 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 55 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| My WiFi | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| FDI | no data | + |
Security technologies
Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240 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 Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | - |
| VT-d | no data | - |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 25.6 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | On certain motherboards (Chipset feature) | Intel HD Graphics 2500 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.05 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 3 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 9 February 2009 | 3 September 2012 |
| Physical cores | 3 | 2 |
| Threads | 3 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 22 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 55 Watt |
Phenom II X3 720 BE has 50% more physical cores.
i3-3240, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, 33.3% more threads, a 104.5% more advanced lithography process, and 72.7% lower power consumption.
We couldn't decide between Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240. We've got no test results to judge.
Should you still have questions on choice between Phenom II X3 720 BE and Core i3-3240, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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