Core i7-3520M vs Core i7-920

Core i7-3520M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2012

Core i7-920

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3520M

2 / 4

2,842

0.0%

2,866

+0.8%

Pentium Dual Core T2370

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 i7-3520M is positioned at rank 1127 and the Core i7-920 is on rank 997, so the Core i7-920 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 i7-3520M

#1113

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3574%

#1114

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3521%

#1115

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3233%

#1116

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3218%

#1117

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3189%

#1119

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3079%

#1120

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2952%

#1121

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2948%

#1122

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2868%

#1125

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

100%

#1126

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

100%

#1127

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

100%

#1128

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

100%

#1129

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

100%

#1130

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1132

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

99%

#1133

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

95%

#1134

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1135

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

94%

#1136

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

94%

#1137

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1139

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

93%

#1140

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-920

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

30893%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

29191%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

21195%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

6385%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5058%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4425%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2534%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2501%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2277%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2277%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2252%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2191%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2160%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2152%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2132%

#997

Core i7-920

MSRP: $284|Avg: $79

100%

#998

Core i7-4960X

MSRP: $990|Avg: $136

100%

#999

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

98%

#1001

Core 2 Duo E4400

MSRP: $113|Avg: $20

96%

#1002

Pentium D 915

MSRP: $74|Avg: $10

94%

#1003

Core 2 Quad Q9400

MSRP: $229|Avg: $25

93%

#1004

Core i5-655K

MSRP: $216|Avg: $55

93%

#1005

Celeron 450

MSRP: $53|Avg: $5

93%

#1006

Core 2 Duo E4600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $9.6

92%

#1008

Core i7-870S

MSRP: $300|Avg: $80

91%

#1009

Core 2 Duo E6540

MSRP: $163|Avg: $15

91%

#1010

Celeron 430

MSRP: $49|Avg: $10

91%

#1011

Athlon X2 BE-2300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

90%

#1012

Core i7-875K

MSRP: $353|Avg: $175

89%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i7-3520M leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i7-920 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i7-3520M	Core i7-920
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)	✅ More affordable ($79)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i7-920 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 77% cheaper ($79 vs $346) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i7-3520M	Core i7-920
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+342%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)	✅ More affordable ($79)

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 i7-3520M Benchmark Check

Core i7-920 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3520M and Core i7-920

Core i7-3520M

The Core i7-3520M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,842 points. Launch price was $346.

Core i7-920

The Core i7-920 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Novembro 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.93 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,866 points. Launch price was $340.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-3520M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-920 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-920 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-3520M versus 2.93 GHz on the Core i7-920 — a 20.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-3520M (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Core i7-3520M uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-920 uses Bloomfield (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3520M scores 2,842 against the Core i7-920's 2,866 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-920. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-3520M vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-920.

Feature	Core i7-3520M	Core i7-920
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+23%	2.93 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+9%	2.66 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Bloomfield (2008−2010)
PassMark	2,842	2,866

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3520M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-920 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-3520M	Core i7-920
Socket	PGA988	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	32	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i7-3520M) / not specified (Core i7-920). The Core i7-3520M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Core i7-920 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-3520M rivals AMD A10-5750M.