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Intel Pentium G2020T

Intel Pentium G2020T: A Comprehensive Review of the Outdated but Resilient Processor of 2025

(April 2025)

Key Features: Architecture, Performance, Key Characteristics

The Intel Pentium G2020T processor, released in 2013, belongs to the Ivy Bridge generation (3rd generation Core). Despite its age, it still finds applications in niche scenarios in 2025 due to its energy efficiency.

Technology Process and Architecture

- Technology Process: 22 nm — cutting-edge in its time, but now considered outdated (modern processors use 5-7 nm).

- Cores and Threads: 2 cores, 2 threads. Lacks Hyper-Threading support, which limits multitasking.

- Clock Speed: 2.5 GHz (without Turbo Boost). Sufficient for basic tasks, but even a browser with 10+ tabs can lead to slowdowns.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge generation). Supports DirectX 11 but is not suitable for gaming (CS:GO on low settings — 20-25 FPS).

- TDP: 35 W — its main advantage. Suitable for passive cooling systems and compact PCs.

Performance

- Geekbench 6: Single-Core — 407, Multi-Core — 667. For comparison, a modern budget Celeron G6900 (2023) scores 1800/3500 points.

- Real-World Tasks: Office applications (Word, Excel), Full HD video playback, light web browsing.

Key Features

- Low power consumption: Ideal for media centers or office PCs where quiet operation is important.

- Virtualization support (VT-x): Allows the use of virtual machines, but without hardware acceleration for newer operating systems.

Compatible Motherboards: Sockets, Chipsets, Selection Nuances

Socket: LGA 1155 — an outdated socket, with no new motherboards being produced. Finding a motherboard in 2025 turns into a quest:

- Chipsets: H61, B75, H77, Q77. It's better to choose B75 or H77 — they support USB 3.0 and SATA III (relevant for SSDs).

- Model Examples: ASUS P8B75-M, Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H. Prices in the used market — $20-40, but new boards are unavailable.

Selection Tips

1. Check the condition of VRM modules: Older boards may have swollen capacitors.

2. Connectors: Look for models with HDMI or DisplayPort if using integrated graphics.

3. BIOS: Update the firmware for compatibility with SSDs and peripherals.

Supported Memory Types

DDR3-1333/1600: The maximum capacity — 32 GB (theoretically), but in practice, most boards support 16 GB.

- Frequencies: There is no point in installing memory above 1600 MHz — the processor won’t utilize it.

- Modern Standards: DDR4/DDR5 are not supported. In 2025, DDR3 is considered retro, but modules are still available on the secondary market ($10-20 for 8 GB).

Practical Example: Installing 16 GB of DDR3-1600 and an SSD turns the G2020T into a decent office PC.

Power Supply Recommendations

With a TDP of 35 W, the processor puts minimal load on the system. However, it's important to consider other components:

- Minimum PSU: 300 W (for example, be quiet! SFX Power 3, $45).

- With a discrete graphics card: For a GTX 1650 (TDP 75 W), a PSU of 400-450 W is needed (Corsair CX450, $55).

Important: Don’t skimp on the PSU! Older models with low efficiency can damage components.

Pros and Cons of the Pentium G2020T

Pros:

- Energy efficiency: A PC with this CPU can even be built in a book-sized case.

- Quiet operation: Passive cooling or a cooler of 30-40 mm.

- Price: In the used market — $10-15 (processor + motherboard).

Cons:

- Outdated architecture: Does not support AVX2, AES-NI, which is critical for modern software.

- No upgrade path: The maximum for LGA 1155 — Core i7-3770, but even that is weak for 2025.

Use Cases

1. Office PC: Document work, email, Zoom (but without background tasks).

2. Media Center: Video playback via Kodi or Plex (no 4K support, only Full HD).

3. Entry-Level Server: For a home NAS based on OpenMediaVault (sufficient for 2-3 users).

Gaming: Only older titles (Half-Life 2, World of Warcraft Classic) or cloud gaming.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD A4-5300 (2012): Weaker in single-threaded performance (Geekbench 6 Single-Core — ~320), but cheaper.

- Intel Celeron G5900 (2020): Twice as fast, but more expensive ($60 new) and requires LGA 1200 platform.

Conclusion: The G2020T only wins in price and energy consumption.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. SSD is essential: Kingston A400 240 GB ($25) will eliminate slowdowns during OS boot.

2. Cooling: Arctic Alpine 11 Passive (passive cooler, $15).

3. Graphics Card: If gaming is needed, consider a used GTX 1050 ($50).

Warning: Avoid using Windows 11 — the system will be laggy. Best options — Linux Lite or Windows 10 LTSC.

Final Conclusion: Who is the Pentium G2020T Suitable For?

This processor is a choice for:

- Retro computer enthusiasts: To build a PC "like in the 2010s" for nostalgia.

- Budget offices: Where only basic tasks are required.

- Home media centers: For connecting to a television in the living room.

Why not to choose it? If you need to work with modern applications, games, or multitasking — even $100 can get you a more relevant CPU (like the Intel N100).

Conclusion

The Pentium G2020T in 2025 is a relic, but not useless. Its strengths lie in minimalism and "indestructibility." However, for most users, it is merely a temporary solution or a niche tool.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

January 2013

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.

G2020T

Code Name

Ivi Bridge

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.

Basic Frequency

2.50 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.

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.

CPU Socket

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

FCLGA1155

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.

22 nm

TDP

35 W

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

2.0

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

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8 & 2x4

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.

DDR3 1333

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

5 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

21 GB/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.

Yes

GPU Specifications

GPU Name

Intel® HD Graphics for 3rd Generation 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.

1.05 GHz

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

650 MHz

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

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.

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

Instruction Set Extensions

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

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.

3 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.

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.

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 InTru 3D Technology

Intel Quick Sync Video

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

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

407

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

667

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

468

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

839

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1298

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1430

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-3240T

477 +17.2%

A10-7700K

442 +8.6%

Pentium G2020T

407

A4 PRO-7300B

375 -7.9%

Celeron N4000

339 -16.7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Athlon X4 740

927 +39%

Celeron J4125

784 +17.5%

Pentium G2020T

667

Pentium B960

569 -14.7%

Pentium P6300

464 -30.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-2630L v2

499 +6.6%

Core i5-2557M

486 +3.8%

Pentium G2020T

468

Athlon X4 970

450 -3.8%

Xeon E5-2683 v3

426 -9%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-3317U

998 +19%

A6-5400K

896 +6.8%

Pentium G2020T

839

Pentium 3805U

761 -9.3%

Xeon E5-2676 v3

658 -21.6%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Pentium 1403 V2

1391 +7.2%

Celeron 3965U

1352 +4.2%

Pentium G2020T

1298

A4-5300B

1249 -3.8%

Core i5-3439Y

1197 -7.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

A6-9500E

1756 +22.8%

Pentium G2030T

1581 +10.6%

Pentium G2020T

1430

Athlon X2 340

1301 -9%

A6-5350M

1192 -16.6%