Core i3-4120U vs Phenom II X4 X920 BE

CPU

GPU

Core i3-4120U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2 GHz2014

Phenom II X4 X920 BE

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-4120U

2 / 4

1,948

+0.7%

1,935

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i3-4120U is positioned at rank 129 and the Phenom II X4 X920 BE is on rank 308, so the Core i3-4120U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-4120U

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

95%

#117

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

301%

#118

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

297%

#119

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

272%

#120

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

271%

#121

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

269%

#123

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

260%

#124

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

249%

#125

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

248%

#126

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

242%

#129

Core i3-4120U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#137

N200

MSRP: $193|Avg: N/A

97%

#138

Core 2 Duo SP9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

97%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 X920 BE

#296

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

455%

#297

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

448%

#298

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

411%

#299

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

410%

#300

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

406%

#302

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

392%

#303

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

376%

#304

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

375%

#305

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

365%

#308

Phenom II X4 X920 BE

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Phenom II X4 X920 BE leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i3-4120U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i3-4120U	Phenom II X4 X920 BE
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i3-4120U	Phenom II X4 X920 BE
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i3-4120U Benchmark Check

Phenom II X4 X920 BE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-4120U and Phenom II X4 X920 BE

Core i3-4120U

The Core i3-4120U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,948 points. Launch price was $281.

Phenom II X4 X920 BE

The Phenom II X4 X920 BE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,935 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-4120U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X4 X920 BE offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 X920 BE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Core i3-4120U versus 2.3 GHz on the Phenom II X4 X920 BE — a 14% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 X920 BE. The Core i3-4120U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Phenom II X4 X920 BE uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4120U scores 1,948 against the Phenom II X4 X920 BE's 1,935 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i3-4120U.

Feature	Core i3-4120U	Phenom II X4 X920 BE
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2 GHz	2.3 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2 GHz	—
L3 Cache	3 MB	—
L2 Cache	512 kB	2 MB+300%
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,948	1,935
Geekbench 6 Single	462	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,071	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4120U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X4 X920 BE uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-4120U	Phenom II X4 X920 BE
Socket	FCBGA1168	S1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core i3-4120U) / not specified (Phenom II X4 X920 BE). The Core i3-4120U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4400), while the Phenom II X4 X920 BE requires a dedicated GPU.