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Intel Core i3-1120G4

Intel Core i3-1120G4: Compact Power for Everyday Tasks

Processor Analysis for Ultrabooks in 2025

Architecture and Technology Process: 10 nm SuperFin and Hybrid Efficiency

The Intel Core i3-1120G4 processor, released as part of the Tiger Lake series, is built on a 10-nanometer SuperFin technology process. This technology has improved energy efficiency by 20% compared to the previous Ice Lake generation. The chip features 4 cores and 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading, making it suitable for multitasking. The base clock speed is 1.5 GHz, and in Turbo Boost mode, it can reach up to 3.5 GHz.

The integrated graphics Intel UHD for the 11th generation (Xe-LP architecture) is a key advantage. It supports 4K@60 Hz output, AV1 decoding, and improved performance in light gaming. However, compared to Iris Xe in the Core i5/i7, the number of execution units (EUs) here is reduced—48 instead of 96—limiting its potential in AAA titles.

Power Consumption and TDP: A Balance Between Power and Battery Life

The processor's TDP is 15 W, which is typical for ultrabooks. This allows for the design of thin devices without bulky cooling systems. For example, laptops based on the i3-1120G4, such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5, utilize passive cooling under low load.

However, during prolonged operation in Turbo Boost (for example, video rendering), power consumption can reach 25 W, necessitating an active fan. For everyday tasks (web browsing, office work), the chip maintains a temperature range of 40-50°C.

Performance: Real-World Tests and Turbo Mode

Office Tasks

- Microsoft Office + 20 tabs in Chrome: the processor handles it without lags, consuming 7-10 W.

- Zoom conference + working in Excel: core load is 60-70%, temperature is 55°C.

Multimedia

- Photo editing in Lightroom: processing 100 pictures takes ~15 minutes (on Core i5-1135G7 — 12 minutes).

- Playing 4K video: AV1 decoding via iGPU does not load the CPU (load <5%).

Gaming

- CS:GO (1080p, low settings): 45-55 FPS.

- Fortnite (720p, Performance Mode): 30-40 FPS.

In Turbo mode, the CPU frequency increases to 3.5 GHz, but after 10 minutes, throttling begins due to overheating.

Usage Scenarios: Who is the i3-1120G4 Suitable For?

- Students: working with texts, online courses, light gaming.

- Office Workers: Excel, PowerPoint, cloud services.

- On-the-go Users: compact laptops with long battery life.

Not Suitable For:

- 3D modeling (Blender, AutoCAD).

- Streaming and editing 4K video.

Battery Life: How Long Does the Laptop Last?

With a battery capacity of 50 Wh (e.g., Acer Swift 3):

- Web browsing: 8-10 hours.

- Video playback (1080p): 12 hours.

- Turbo mode (max load): 2-3 hours.

Energy-saving technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: dynamic switching between P-states.

- Dynamic Tuning 3.0: machine learning for load optimization.

Comparison with Competitors

AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (Zen 2, 7 nm)

- Pros: Better multi-threaded performance (6 cores).

- Cons: Weaker iGPU (Vega 6 vs. Xe).

- Laptop Price: $550-$700 (similar to i3-1120G4).

Apple M1 (5 nm)

- Pros: Twice the battery life, cool operation.

- Cons: Limited compatibility with Windows applications.

- Price: Starting from $999 (MacBook Air).

Intel Core i5-1135G7

- Pros: Higher base frequency (2.4 GHz), Iris Xe with 80 EU.

- Cons: Laptop prices are $100-$150 higher.

Pros and Cons of the i3-1120G4

Strengths:

- Energy efficiency for ultrabooks.

- Support for Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4.

- Adequate performance for everyday tasks.

Weaknesses:

- Limited Turbo Boost (rapid overheating).

- Low iGPU performance for modern gaming.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

- Type of Device: Ultrabooks (Asus ZenBook, HP Pavilion Aero).

- RAM Size: At least 8 GB (preferably 16 GB for multitasking).

- Storage: SSD of 256+ GB (NVMe) is a must.

- Display: Full HD IPS (avoid TN panels).

- Price: $500-$700 (new models for 2025).

Examples of Models:

- Lenovo IdeaPad 5: $599, 14" FHD, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD.

- Dell Inspiron 14 5420: $649, touchscreen, 12 hours of battery life.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Core i3-1120G4 is a solid choice for those seeking a balance of price and efficiency. It is suitable for studying, office work, and travel but is not designed for heavy loads. If your budget is limited to $700 and your needs do not exceed everyday tasks, this processor will be a reliable foundation for a laptop. However, for gaming or professional video editing, consider models with Ryzen 5 or Core i5.

In 2025, laptops based on the i3-1120G4 remain relevant due to their low cost and improved Windows 12 optimization. Their key advantage is "discreetness": you work, and the device does not distract with heat or short battery life.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

September 2020

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i3-1120G4

Code Name

Tiger Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.50 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

L3 Cache

8 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1598

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

10 nm SuperFin

TDP

15 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

Microprocessor PCIe Revision

Gen 4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

LPDDR4x-4267

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

32 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

2 GT/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics for 11th Gen Intel® Processors

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.10 GHz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

12.1

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

7680x4320@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP 1.4b | MIPI-DSI 2.0 | DP 1.4 | HDMI 2.0b

Miscellaneous

Intel Image Processing Unit

6.0

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2 | Intel® AVX-512

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

8 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel High Definition Audio

Yes

Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)

Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology

CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.

Yes

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost)

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.6

OpenCL Support

OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.

3.0

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes