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Intel Pentium G2120T

Intel Pentium G2120T: A Budget Processor for Basic Tasks in 2025

(April 2025)

Key Characteristics: Architecture and Performance

Code Name and Process Technology

The Intel Pentium G2120T processor, released in 2013, is based on the Ivy Bridge microarchitecture (3rd generation Core). The manufacturing process is 22 nm, which was an advanced solution for its time, providing a balance between energy efficiency and performance. By 2025, this standard is considered outdated, but the processor remains relevant for certain scenarios.

Cores, Threads, and Frequencies

- 2 Cores / 2 Threads: No support for Hyper-Threading, limiting multitasking capabilities.

- Base Frequency: 2.7 GHz. No Turbo Boost — the frequency is fixed.

- Cache: 3 MB L3 cache.

TDP and Graphics

- TDP 35 W: One of the most energy-efficient processors in the Ivy Bridge lineup.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 2500 with a base frequency of 650 MHz (up to 1.05 GHz in Turbo). Supports DirectX 11 but is not suitable for gaming.

Key Features

- Supports SSE4.1/4.2, AVX instructions.

- Virtualization (VT-x).

- Enhanced Intel SpeedStep energy-saving technologies.

Compatible Motherboards

Socket and Chipsets

The processor uses the LGA 1155 socket. Compatible chipsets:

- Budget: H61, B75—suitable for office PCs (no USB 3.0 on H61, SATA III limitations).

- Advanced: H77, Z75, Z77—support PCIe 3.0 and memory overclocking (only Z chipsets).

Selection Features

- New Boards: In 2025, motherboards for LGA 1155 are no longer produced. Prices for remaining new ones range from $60 to $90 (for example, ASUS P8B75-M).

- SSD Compatibility: For maximum speed, use boards with SATA III (6 Gbps).

- Advice: Avoid boards with damaged capacitors—a common defect in used models.

Supported Memory

Type and Specifications

- DDR3: Maximum frequency—1600 MHz (officially).

- Capacity: Up to 32 GB (depending on the motherboard).

- DDR4/DDR5: Not supported—this is a key limitation in 2025.

Recommendations

- The optimal option is 8–16 GB DDR3-1600.

- Use dual-channel mode (2x4 GB or 2x8 GB) to increase integrated graphics performance.

Power Supply Units: Calculations and Tips

Power Consumption

With a TDP of 35 W, even with other components (motherboard, SSD, HDD, fans), the system consumes no more than 100–120 W under load.

Power Supply Recommendations

- Without a discrete graphics card: A 300–400 W unit is sufficient (for example, be quiet! System Power 10 400W, $45).

- With a graphics card: Choose the PSU based on the GPU requirements. For example, for NVIDIA GT 1030 (30 W), a 350 W PSU will suffice.

Important: Don’t skimp on the power supply! Cheap models (around $20–$30) can damage components.

Pros and Cons

Advantages

- Energy Efficiency: Ideal for low-power systems (home servers, media centers).

- Price: New processors (if found) range from $50 to $70.

- Cooling Simplicity: Even a stock cooler is sufficient.

Disadvantages

- Outdated Architecture: Lags behind modern Celeron or AMD Athlon 3000G in multithreading.

- No support for new technologies: PCIe 3.0 instead of 5.0, lack of USB 3.2, NVMe (only via adapters).

Use Cases

Office and Web Surfing

- Working with documents, email, and browser (10+ tabs).

- Example: A PC based on G2120T + 8 GB DDR3 + SSD is an excellent solution for small businesses.

Multimedia

- Playing 1080p video via HDMI.

- Streaming via Plex or Kodi (but won’t handle 4K transcoding).

Gaming

- Only older or light projects: Half-Life 2, Minecraft, League of Legends (at low settings, 720p).

Comparison with Competitors

AMD A6-6400K (Richland, 2013)

- Pros: Better graphics (Radeon HD 8470D), unlocked multiplier.

- Cons: Higher TDP (65 W), weaker in single-threaded tasks.

Intel Celeron G5920 (2020, Comet Lake)

- Pros: Support for DDR4, PCIe 3.0, current chipsets.

- Cons: Price ($70–$80) is comparable to used i3 8th generation.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Choosing an SSD: Kingston A400 240 GB ($30) will speed up system performance.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is enough, but for quieter operation, switch to Arctic Alpine 11 GT ($15).

3. Upgrade: Adding a graphics card (NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti) will turn the PC into a basic gaming rig, but check compatibility with the PSU.

4. OS: Windows 10/11 (with limitations) or Linux (better optimization for older CPUs).

Final Conclusion: Who is G2120T Suitable For?

This processor is suitable for:

- Budget Build Enthusiasts: Creating a PC for parents or children.

- Owners of Older Systems: Upgrading an office computer from the 2010s.

- Quiet PC Lovers: Media centers or home servers.

Why in 2025?

The G2120T is not for gaming or video editing, but as a "workhorse" for basic tasks, it remains relevant due to its low price and minimal power consumption. If you find a new unit for $50, it's a good purchase. Otherwise, consider a used Core i5-3470T (4 cores / $35) or modern budget processors.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

April 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.

G2120T

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

2.70 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 1333/1600

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).

25.6 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 Base Frequency

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

650 MHz

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

Number of Displays Supported

Miscellaneous

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.

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

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1493

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

1613

Compared to Other CPU

Passmark CPU Single Core

Pentium G3260T

1568 +5%

Core i7-6970HQ

1532 +2.6%

Pentium G2120T

1493

Core i7-2620M

1472 -1.4%

FX-8320E

1437 -3.8%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Opteron 3320 EE

1918 +18.9%

PRO A6-9500

1770 +9.7%

Pentium G2120T

1613

A8-3520M

1448 -10.2%

Celeron 3865U

1314 -18.5%