The Core i3-2120 is the comparison's loser – it's at least 2x slower gaming CPU than the Core i9-7980XE and it's also a much worse value for money, as it's only $100.71 cheaper!
Advantages of the Core i3-2120
- Up to 34% cheaper – $199.28 vs $299.99
- Consumes up to 61% less energy – 65 vs 165 Watts
- Can run games without a dedicated GPU as it has integrated graphics
Advantages of the Core i9-7980XE
- At least 2x faster CPU for gaming
- A much better value for money for gaming
- Can execute more multi-threaded tasks simultaneously – 36 vs 4 threads
Core i3-2120 vs Core i9-7980XE for Gaming
The CPU's performance in selected game and settings
Core i3-2120
Feb 20th, 2011
Average FPS
168
90%
Min 1% FPS
113
91%
Price, $
$199.28
100%
Value, $/FPS
$1.18/FPS
100%
Core i9-7980XE
Sep 1st, 2017
Average FPS
187
100%
Min 1% FPS
124
100%
Price, $
$299.99
66%
Value, $/FPS
$1.6/FPS
74%
Core i3-2120 vs Core i9-7980XE in My Games
The FPS you'll get in saved games, click on a game to change it
The FPS you'll get in saved games, click on a game to change it
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Synthetic Benchmarks
The Core i3-2120 vs Core i9-7980XE in synthetic CPU benchmarks
Performance Specifications
The Core i3-2120 vs Core i9-7980XE in core CPU performance specifications
Core i3-2120
Feb 20th, 2011
Cores
2-core
11%
L3 Cache
3 MB
12%
Base Frequency
3.3 GHz
100%
Turbo Frequency
GHz
Max. DDR3 RAM Speed
1333 MHz
50%
Core i9-7980XE
Sep 1st, 2017
Cores
18-core
100%
L3 Cache
24.75 MB
100%
Base Frequency
2.6 GHz
79%
Turbo Frequency
4.2 GHz
100%
Max. DDR4 RAM Speed
2666 MHz
100%
Specifications
Comparison of all specifications
Core i3-2120 | SpecificationsComparison of all specifications | Core i9-7980XE |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Feb 20th, 2011 | Release Date | Sep 1st, 2017 |
$138.00 | MSRP | $1,999.00 |
Desktop | Segment | Desktop |
| Intel Socket 1155 | Socket | Intel Socket 2066 |
| Sandy Bridge | Codename | Skylake |
65 W | Power Consumption | 165 W |
| Performance | ||
| 2 | Cores | 18 |
| 4 | Threads | 36 |
3.3 GHz | Base Frequency | 2.6 GHz |
| Non-Turbo | Turbo Frequency | 4.2 GHz |
| 3 MB | L3 Cache | 24.75 MB |
| Other Features | ||
| DDR3 @ 1333 MHz | RAM | DDR4 @ 2666 MHz |
Intel HD 2000 | Integrated Graphics | No |
| No | Overclockable | Yes |
