Phenom II X4 X920 BE vs Core i3-4120U

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Phenom II X4 X920 BE

4 / 4

1,935

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-4120U

2 / 4

1,948

+0.7%

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 Phenom II X4 X920 BE is positioned at rank 308 and the Core i3-4120U is on rank 129, 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 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 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 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	Phenom II X4 X920 BE	Core i3-4120U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Phenom II X4 X920 BE	Core i3-4120U
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.

Phenom II X4 X920 BE Benchmark Check

Core i3-4120U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

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

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.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

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

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

🧠

Memory & Platform

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

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

🔧

Advanced Features

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