Core i5-520M vs Core i3-3120M

Both the Core i5-520M and Core i3-3120M share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.93 GHz on the Core i5-520M versus 2.5 GHz on the Core i3-3120M — a 15.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-520M (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i5-520M uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-3120M uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-520M scores 1,727 against the Core i3-3120M's 1,709 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-520M. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 360 vs 440, a 20% lead for the Core i3-3120M that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 695 vs 930 (28.9% advantage for the Core i3-3120M). L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-520M vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-3120M.

Both processors use the PGA988 socket with PCIe 2.0. Maximum memory speed reaches 1066 on the Core i5-520M versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i3-3120M — the Core i5-520M supports 198.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i3-3120M supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: HM55,HM57,QM57 (Core i5-520M) and HM76,HM77 (Core i3-3120M).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Core i5-520M) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-3120M). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake) (Core i5-520M) and Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Core i3-3120M) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-3120M targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-520M rivals AMD Turion II Ultra M660; Core i3-3120M rivals AMD A8-4500M.