The Core i3-2120 is the comparison's loser – it's a much slower gaming CPU than the Core i7-3970X and it's also a much worse value for money, as it's $20.53 more expensive!
Advantages of the Core i3-2120
- Consumes up to 57% less energy – 65 vs 150 Watts
- Has an integrated GPU, while the Core i7-3970X cannot run games without a dedicated GPU
Advantages of the Core i7-3970X
- A much faster CPU for gaming
- Up to 10% cheaper – $176.86 vs $197.39
- A better value for money for gaming
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 12 vs 4 threads
Core i3-2120 vs Core i7-3970X for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i3-2120
Feb 20th, 2011
Average FPS
168
98%
Min 1% FPS
113
98%
Price, $
$197.39
89%
Value, $/FPS
$1.17/FPS
87%
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Average FPS
172
100%
Min 1% FPS
115
100%
Price, $
$176.86
100%
Value, $/FPS
$1.02/FPS
100%
Core i3-2120 vs Core i7-3970X in My Games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
The FPS you'll get in saved games
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Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i3-2120 vs Core i7-3970X in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i3-2120 vs Core i7-3970X in core CPU performance specifications
Core i3-2120
Feb 20th, 2011
Cores
2-core
33%
L3 Cache
3 MB
20%
Base Frequency
3.3 GHz
94%
Turbo Frequency
GHz
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1333 MHz
83%
Core i7-3970X
Nov 1st, 2012
Cores
6-core
100%
L3 Cache
15 MB
100%
Base Frequency
3.5 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
4 GHz
100%
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1600 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i3-2120 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i7-3970X |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Feb 20th, 2011 | Release Date | Nov 1st, 2012 |
$138.00 | MSRP | $990.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1155 | Socket | Intel Socket 2011 |
| Sandy Bridge | Codename | Sandy Bridge E |
65 W | Power Consumption | 150 W |
| Performance | ||
| 2 | Cores | 6 |
| 4 | Threads | 12 |
| 3.3 GHz | Base Frequency | 3.5 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Frequency | 4.0 GHz |
| 3 MB | L3 Cache | 15 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1333 MHz | RAM | DDR3 @ 1600 MHz |
Intel HD 2000 | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
