Intel Core i3-7120

The Intel Core i3-7120 is a desktop processor built by Intel on a 14 nm Kaby Lake process, belonging to the Core i3 (Kaby Lake) generation. It runs at a fixed 4.00 GHz base clock with no boost clock, providing 2 cores and 4 threads, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 3 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with a peak bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s, includes Intel HD 630 integrated graphics, and uses the Intel Socket 1151. Its market segment is Desktop, its production status is Active, and its release date is July 16, 2017. The part number is SR35D. In the benchmark database, the benchmarks array is empty and the average benchmark score is 0, leaving a percentileVsAllCpus value of 50 as the only aggregate ranking field.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

Single-thread behavior is defined by the fixed 4.00 GHz base clock and the absence of a boost clock. Because there is no boost frequency, the CPU cannot raise its clock beyond 4.00 GHz, so the 4.00 GHz figure is effectively both the floor and the ceiling. A single thread sees a stable frequency with no dynamic variation, which is a useful trait for latency-sensitive workloads where clock changes can introduce inconsistency. The cache hierarchy starts with 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, giving a single active thread two private levels of fast storage before reaching shared memory. The L3 cache is 3 MB and shared across the processor, meaning a single thread can use that full shared pool if no other thread is active.

Multi-thread behavior is governed by the 2-core/4-thread design. The processor exposes 4 threads but provides 2 physical cores, so parallel workloads must divide work across those 2 cores. Scaling beyond 2 physical cores is not possible, and the extra threads can only improve occupancy on the existing cores rather than add true core-level parallelism. When both cores are active, the 3 MB shared L3 cache becomes a contention point. Threads that share data can use that shared L3, but capacity is limited. If the working set exceeds 3 MB, the memory subsystem becomes the next level of data movement. The dual-channel DDR4 interface is rated at 38.4 GB/s, and that bandwidth is the hard ceiling for memory-heavy multi-threaded operations.

The fixed 4.00 GHz clock remains unchanged under multi-thread loads as well. There is no boost headroom to compensate for contention or to speed up a single thread while others wait. The result is a predictable split: single-thread workloads get a constant high base clock and a largely private cache path, while multi-thread workloads are constrained by the 2-core execution capacity and a modest 3 MB shared L3 pool. For workloads that need a few threads, the 4-thread count helps with responsiveness; for heavy multi-thread scaling, the physical core count is the limiting factor.

Power and Thermals

The defining power figure for the Core i3-7120 is a TDP of 51. That places it in a conservative desktop power class. In cooling terms, a TDP of 51 indicates that a conventional air cooler is sufficient; the data does not suggest a need for a high-end liquid cooling solution. The 14 nm Intel manufacturing process is the transistor-level technology behind this TDP class. The processor uses Intel Socket 1151, so cooler compatibility is tied to that socket family.

The multiplier is locked, since multiplierUnlocked is false, and the clock is fixed at 4.00 GHz with no boost. That fixed operating point means thermal output is steady under sustained load rather than varying with dynamic frequency changes. The integrated Intel HD 630 graphics block resides in the same package and operates within the same 51 TDP envelope. Because this is a Desktop market part with Active production status, it fits within the normal desktop thermal design space. ECC memory is not supported, so the memory path is limited to non-ECC DDR4. No unusual thermal provisions are listed in the data; the 51 TDP class is the main signal for the required cooling tier.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals array in the database is empty. That is a direct data condition: there are no nearest-rival names, no rival scores, and no comparison deltas to report. With no rival entries, the Core i3-7120 cannot be positioned against any specific close competitor in this database. The only available comparison signal is the percentileVsAllCpus value, which is 50. A 50th percentile placement sits exactly at the center of the CPU ranking distribution. That places the processor in the middle of the all-CPU population, but it does not identify which CPUs are immediately above or below it.

The average benchmark score is 0, and the benchmarks array is empty, so there is no raw score to use as a comparison anchor. No rival paragraph can be populated from the available data. The empty nearestRivals list means there are no exact percentage deltas to report. The 50th percentile can serve as a rough aggregate reference, but it is not tied to any named competitor. The comparison story for this processor is therefore defined by missing entries and a midpoint aggregate rank.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Core i3-7120 use?

A: It uses the Intel Socket 1151.

Q: How many cores and threads does it have?

A: It has 2 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What process node is it built on?

A: It is built on a 14 nm process.

Q: What is the memory configuration?

A: It supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a peak bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s.

Q: Does it support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported; the eccMemory field is false.

Q: What integrated graphics does it include?

A: It includes Intel HD 630 integrated graphics.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmarks field is empty, so no benchmark scores are present for the Core i3-7120. The database records an average benchmark score of 0, but that value reflects the absence of benchmark entries rather than a measured performance result. With no raw scores, exact percentage deltas cannot be computed. The nearestRivals list is also empty, so there is no reference CPU against which to calculate a lead or deficit.

The only numerical ranking information is percentileVsAllCpus, set at 50. On a percentile scale, 50 is the center of the distribution, indicating a middle position among all CPUs tracked in the database. This is a coarse aggregate placement, not a per-test score. It cannot be converted into a specific percentage margin over or under any competitor because the benchmark inputs are missing.

The specification data provides the available performance context. The base clock is 4.00 GHz with no boost clock, so any future benchmark results would be recorded at a constant frequency, removing clock variation as a factor in test-to-test comparisons. The core and thread counts are 2 and 4, which means heavily parallel tests will be limited by the 2-core physical design. The shared L3 cache is 3 MB, so workloads larger than that will rely more heavily on the dual-channel DDR4 memory path, which is rated at 38.4 GB/s. The platform also includes PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, which affects connectivity for expansion devices rather than raw CPU compute.

For now, the benchmark section consists of an empty benchmarks array, an average benchmark score of 0, and a 50th percentile all-CPU ranking. No percentage-delta analysis is supported by the data. The 50th percentile is the only performance-related position that can be stated, and it indicates a central rank rather than a measured score.