i3-3120M vs Ryzen 5 3500X
Aggregate performance score
Ryzen 5 3500X outperforms i3-3120M by a whopping 674% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 879 | 2369 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | AMD Ryzen 5 | Intel Core i3 |
| Architecture codename | Matisse (2019−2020) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| Release date | 24 September 2019 (4 years ago) | 1 October 2012 (11 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $160 |
Detailed specifications
Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M 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 | 6 (Hexa-Core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 6 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.6 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.1 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 5 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 384 KB | 128 KB |
| L2 cache | 3 MB | 512 KB |
| L3 cache | 32 MB (shared) | 3 MB |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm, 12 nm | 22 nm |
| Die size | no data | 118 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 90C (PGA); 105C (BGA) |
| Number of transistors | 4,800 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | + | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M 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 | AM4 | FCBGA1023,FCPGA988 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 35 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® AVX |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| 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 | - | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | + |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
| FDI | no data | + |
| Fast Memory Access | no data | + |
| Status | no data | Discontinued |
| Precision Boost 2 | + | no data |
Security technologies
Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | - |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | - | + |
| Anti-Theft | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M 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 Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 Dual-channel | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 128 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 51.196 GB/s | 25.6 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | - | Intel HD Graphics 4000 |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | - | + |
| Graphics max frequency | - | 1.1 GHz |
| InTru 3D | - | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | - | 3 |
| eDP | - | + |
| DisplayPort | - | + |
| HDMI | - | + |
| SDVO | - | + |
| CRT | - | + |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
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.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 8.51 | 1.10 |
| Recency | 24 September 2019 | 1 October 2012 |
| Physical cores | 6 | 2 |
| Threads | 6 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm | 22 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 35 Watt |
Ryzen 5 3500X has a 673.6% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 6 years, 200% more physical cores and 50% more threads, and a 214.3% more advanced lithography process.
i3-3120M, on the other hand, has 85.7% lower power consumption.
The Ryzen 5 3500X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-3120M in performance tests.
Note that Ryzen 5 3500X is a desktop processor while Core i3-3120M is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen 5 3500X and Core i3-3120M, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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