Intel Core i7-3770 vs Intel Core i3-2120

The Intel Core i7-3770 and the Intel Core i3-2120 are Intel desktop processors.

The Intel Core i7-3770, based on the Ivy Bridge S architecture, was released in the second quarter of 2012 and was aimed at demanding home users and professional users. The Intel Core i3-2120, based on the Sandy Bridge S architecture, appeared earlier and was designed for basic PC use and the entry-level segment.

The Intel Core i7-3770 is manufactured using the 22 nm process, offers 4 cores and 8 threads, 8 MB of Level 3 cache, PCIe 3.0, and 26 GB/s memory bandwidth. It features the integrated graphics unit Intel HD Graphics 4000. In contrast, the Intel Core i3-2120 is a 32 nm manufacturing with 2 cores and 4 threads, 3 MB of Level 3 cache, PCIe 2.0, and 21 GB/s memory bandwidth.

Its graphics unit is the Intel HD Graphics 2000. The Intel Core i7-3770 significantly outperforms the Intel Core i3-2120 in both single-core and multi-core performance, thanks to more cores/threads and a more efficient architecture. This makes it better suited for computationally intensive and multitasking tasks.

For gaming scenarios, the Intel Core i7-3770 offers clearly better performance thanks to its core count, Hyper-Threading, higher clock speeds, and PCIe 3.0. Its integrated graphics unit is also more powerful. The 22 nm manufacturing of the Intel Core i7-3770 indicates better energy efficiency compared to the 32 nm process of the Intel Core i3-2120, despite higher performance.

Both processors are mainly traded on the used market today. The Intel Core i7-3770 offers higher performance per euro for demanding applications, while the Intel Core i3-2120 remains a very cost-effective option for simple computing tasks. The Intel Core i7-3770 is recommended for users who need high computing power for gaming or content creation.

The Intel Core i3-2120 is suitable for office applications and web browsing.