MediaTek Helio P90 vs Intel Core i3-3120M

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


MediaTek Helio P90 CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i3-3120M
MediaTek Helio P90 Intel Core i3-3120M

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the MediaTek Helio P90 and the Intel Core i3-3120M and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the MediaTek Helio P90 8 core processor released in Q4/2019 with the Intel Core i3-3120M which has 2 CPU cores and was introduced in Q3/2012.
Mediatek Helio (37) Family Intel Core i3 (205)
MediaTek Helio P65/P90/P95 (3) CPU group Intel Core i 3000M (29)
3 Generation 3
Cortex-A75 / Cortex-A55 Architecture Ivy Bridge H
Mobile Segment Mobile
-- Predecessor --
MediaTek Helio P95 Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The MediaTek Helio P90 is a 8 core processor with a clock frequency of 2.20 GHz. The processor can compute 8 threads at the same time. The Intel Core i3-3120M clocks with 2.50 GHz, has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.

MediaTek Helio P90 Characteristic Intel Core i3-3120M
8 Cores 2
8 Threads 4
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? No
2.20 GHz
2x Cortex-A75
A-Core 2.50 GHz
2.00 GHz
6x Cortex-A55
B-Core --

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

MediaTek Helio P90 Characteristic Intel Core i3-3120M
-- AI hardware --
-- AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

PowerVR GM 9446 GPU Intel HD Graphics 4000
0.95 GHz GPU frequency 0.65 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.10 GHz
1 GPU Generation 7
12 Technology 22 nm
0 Max. displays 3
3 Compute units 16
12 Shader 128
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
2 GB Max. GPU Memory 2 GB
-- DirectX Version 11.0

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

PowerVR GM 9446 GPU Intel HD Graphics 4000
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP9 No
No Codec VP8 No
No Codec AV1 No
No Codec AVC Decode / Encode
No Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode

Memory & PCIe

Up to 8 GB of memory in a maximum of 4 memory channels is supported by the MediaTek Helio P90, while the Intel Core i3-3120M supports a maximum of 32 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s enabled.

MediaTek Helio P90 Characteristic Intel Core i3-3120M
LPDDR4X-1866 Memory DDR3-1600
8 GB Max. Memory 32 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
14.9 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 25.6 GB/s
No ECC No
-- L2 Cache --
-- L3 Cache 3.00 MB
-- PCIe version 2.0
-- PCIe lanes 16
-- PCIe Bandwidth 8.0 GB/s

Thermal Management

The MediaTek Helio P90 has a TDP of --. The TDP of the Intel Core i3-3120M is 35 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

MediaTek Helio P90 Characteristic Intel Core i3-3120M
-- TDP (PL1 / PBP) 35 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 105 °C

Technical details

The MediaTek Helio P90 has 0.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 12 nm. The cache of Intel Core i3-3120M is at 3.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 22 nm.

MediaTek Helio P90 Characteristic Intel Core i3-3120M
12 nm Technology 22 nm
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
Armv8-A (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX
-- Socket PGA 988
None Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT
No AES-NI Yes
Android Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Q4/2019 Release date Q3/2012
-- Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the MediaTek Helio P90 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.0 stars (2 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Intel Core i3-3120M to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.0 stars (1 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
MediaTek Helio P90 (91%)
Intel Core i3-3120M (97%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
MediaTek Helio P90 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M (64%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
412 (81%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
508 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
1512 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
1136 (75%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
470 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
439 (93%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
1552 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
927 (60%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
PowerVR GM 9446 @ 0.95 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
Intel HD Graphics 4000 @ 1.10 GHz
282 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
2907 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
1682 (58%)

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 9 benchmark is very well suited to measuring the performance of a smartphone. AnTuTu 9 is quite heavy on 3D graphics and can now also use the "Metal" graphics interface. In AnTuTu, memory and UX (user experience) are also tested by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu version 9 can compare any ARM CPU running on Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly comparable when benchmarked on different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 9 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The rating is made up of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the working memory, and the performance of the internal graphics.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
239467 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
0 (0%)

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 8 Benchmark measures the performance of a SoC. AnTuTu benchmarks the CPU, GPU, Memory as well as the UX (User Experience) by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu can benchmark any ARM CPU that runs under Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly compareable if the benchmark has been performed under different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 8 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The evaluation consists of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the RAM and the performance of the internal graphics.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
216494 (100%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
MediaTek Helio P90 MediaTek Helio P90
8C 8T @ 2.20 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i3-3120M Intel Core i3-3120M
2C 4T @ 2.50 GHz
613 (100%)

Devices using this processor

MediaTek Helio P90 Intel Core i3-3120M
Unknown Unknown

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