| Intel Pentium 2020M vs Core i5 3210M |
Laptops come in many configurations in order to accommodate the various needs of each user. At the heart of the laptop is the processor. For this matchup, we’re comparing two processors with different specifications: the Intel Pentium 2020M versus the Intel Core i5 3210M. Let's take a closer look at the architecture of each CPU, and see which has the better overall value.
The basic premise of the Pentium M series is that it runs at a lower voltage, geared towards powering small laptops below 3 lbs. The Pentium 2020M is a dual core processor geared towards a budget build. It has a speed of 2.4 GHz with 2 threads and 2 MB of cache, which makes it capable of running basic tasks such as web browsing and watching movies. It packs an HD 2500 for its integrated graphics, which provides acceptable performance. As an entry level processor, added functions such as Hyperthreading and Turbo Boost are not included in its feature set.
On the other hand, the Core i5 offers decent performance which offers middle level performance; it's basically next in line to Intel's fastest Core i7 chip. The i5 3210M is a dual core processor clocked higher at 2.5 GHz with 4 threads and 3 MB cache. It packs an HD 4000 for decent integrated graphics performance, which can play games at low to medium settings. It’s hyperthreaded as well, which means that each processor core is used more effectively.
Given these specifications, it won’t come as a surprise that the 3210M was able to beat the 2020M in all benchmarks. The results show a 30% higher score in the 3DMark CPU test and an impressive 40% advantage in PassMark. Considering that both processors have the same power draw at 35W TDP, the 3210M thus offers the better performance-per-watt ratio.
Price wise, the 3210M is around $100 more expensive than the 2020M. To wrap things up, only consider the Intel Core 2020M if on a really tight budget; however, we recommend saving up for the the Intel Core i5 3210M because it’s a better bang for the buck.
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Differences What are the advantages of each
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CPUBoss is not aware of any important advantages of the Pentium 2020M vs the Core i5 3210M. | |||||||
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CPUBoss is not aware of any important advantages of the Core i5 3210M vs the Pentium 2020M. | |||||||
Benchmarks Real world tests of Pentium 2020M vs Core i5 3210M
CompuBench 1.5 (Bitcoin mining) Data courtesy CompuBench
CompuBench 1.5 (Face detection)
CompuBench 1.5 (T-Rex) Data courtesy CompuBench
GeekBench 3 (Multi-core) Data courtesy Primate Labs
GeekBench 3 (Single core) Data courtesy Primate Labs
GeekBench 3 (AES single core) Data courtesy Primate Labs
PassMark Data courtesy Passmark
PassMark (Single Core)
Specifications Full list of technical specs
summary | Pentium 2020M | vs | Core i5 3210M |
---|---|---|---|
Clock speed | 2.4 GHz | 2.5 GHz | |
Cores | Dual core | Dual core | |
Socket type | |||
rPGA 988B | |||
features | |||
Has a NX bit | Yes | Yes | |
Supports trusted computing | No | No | |
Has virtualization support | Yes | Yes | |
Instruction set extensions | |||
SSE2 | |||
MMX | |||
SSE4 | |||
AVX | |||
SSE3 | |||
SSE | |||
SSE4.1 | |||
SSE4.2 | |||
Supplemental SSE3 | |||
AES | |||
Supports dynamic frequency scaling | Yes | Yes | |
power consumption | |||
TDP | 35W | 35W | |
Annual home energy cost | 8.43 $/year | 8.43 $/year | |
Performance per watt | 3 pt/W | 12.39 pt/W | |
Typical power consumption | 28.44W | 28.44W | |
bus | |||
Architecture | DMI | DMI 2.0 | |
Number of links | 1 | 1 | |
Transfer rate | 5,000 MT/s | 5,000 MT/s |
details | Pentium 2020M | vs | Core i5 3210M |
---|---|---|---|
Architecture | x86-64 | x86-64 | |
Threads | 2 | 4 | |
L2 cache | 1 MB | 1 MB | |
L2 cache per core | 0.5 MB/core | 0.5 MB/core | |
L3 cache | 2 MB | 3 MB | |
L3 cache per core | 1 MB/core | 1.5 MB/core | |
Manufacture process | 22 nm | 22 nm | |
Max CPUs | 1 | 1 | |
Clock multiplier | 24 | 25 | |
Operating temperature | Unknown - 90°C | Unknown - 105°C | |
overclocking | |||
Overclocked clock speed | 2.4 GHz | 2.9 GHz | |
Overclocked clock speed (Water) | 2.4 GHz | 2.5 GHz | |
Overclocked clock speed (Air) | 2.4 GHz | 2.9 GHz | |
integrated graphics | |||
GPU | GPU | GPU | |
Label | HD Graphics | HD 4000 | |
Number of displays supported | 3 | 3 | |
GPU clock speed | 650 MHz | 650 MHz | |
Turbo clock speed | 1,100 MHz | 1,100 MHz | |
memory controller | |||
Memory controller | Built-in | Built-in | |
Memory type | |||
DDR3-1600 | |||
DDR3L-1600 | |||
DDR3-1333 | |||
DDR3L-1333 | |||
Channels | Dual Channel | Dual Channel | |
Supports ECC | No | No | |
Maximum bandwidth | 25,600 MB/s | 25,600 MB/s | |
Maximum memory size | 32,768 MB | 32,768 MB |
Intel Pentium 2020M ![]() | Intel Core i5 3210M ![]() |
Laptops
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- 1 laptop with the Intel Pentium 2020M, starting from $449
- 17 laptops with the Intel Core i5 3210M, starting from $300
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