Turion II M500 vs Pentium G2120
Turion II M500
Pentium G2120
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 Turion II M500 is positioned at rank 322 and the Pentium G2120 is on rank 753, so the Turion II M500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Turion II M500
Performance Per Dollar Pentium G2120
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Turion II M500 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Turion II M500 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Turion II M500 and Pentium G2120
Turion II M500
The Turion II M500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,865 points. Launch price was $69.
Pentium G2120
The Pentium G2120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,876 points. Launch price was $88.
Processing Power
Both the Turion II M500 and Pentium G2120 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Turion II M500 versus 3.1 GHz on the Pentium G2120 — a 34% clock advantage for the Pentium G2120. The Turion II M500 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium G2120 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Turion II M500 scores 1,865 against the Pentium G2120's 1,876 — a 0.6% lead for the Pentium G2120.
| Feature | Turion II M500 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz | 3.1 GHz+41% |
| Base Clock | — | 3.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 3 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+300% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 22 nm-51% |
| Architecture | Caspian (2009) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,865 | 1,876 |
Memory & Platform
The Turion II M500 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G2120 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Turion II M500 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | S1g3 | LGA1155 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Turion II M500) / VT-x (Pentium G2120). The Pentium G2120 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge)), while the Turion II M500 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium G2120 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Turion II M500 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge) |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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