Intel Core i3-7020U vs Intel Core i5-3210M

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i3-7020U vs Intel Core i5-3210M and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, rendering, streaming, programming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as 3DMark, Blender, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Furmark, MATLAB, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, RealBench, 7zip, PCMark 10, Blender, SuperPi, Handbrake.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Cyberpunk 2077
Borderlands 3
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Death Stranding
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Fallout 76
Rainbow Six Siege
Overwatch
Last Man Standing
Watch Dogs Legion
Red Dead Redemption 2
DOOM: Eternal
Halo Infinite
Grand Theft Auto V
Valorant
Valheim
Assassin's Creed Valhalla

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-3210M or Intel Core i3-7020U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-7020U

50%

Core i5-3210M

50%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-7020U

50%

Core i5-3210M

50%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	89.5	89.5
Valorant	101.7	101.7
Cyberpunk 2077	56.9	57.0
Apex Legends	95.6	95.6
Call of Duty Warzone	76.2	76.3
Overwatch	82.3	82.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.1	70.2
DOOM Eternal	50.8	50.9
Warzone	79.3	79.3
Assassin's Creed	85.4	85.4
Valheim	84.4	84.4

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-7020U

144%

Core i5-3210M

66%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-7020U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-3210M since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 35W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-7020U	Intel Core i5-3210M
Cinbench 15 Single-core	94	107
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	227	256
Cinbench 20 Single-core	258	231
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	609	534
Cinbench 23 Single-core	434	576
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	1682	1373

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-7020U	Intel Core i5-3210M
Single-Core	1328	1545
Multi-Core	2586	2429

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-7020U	Intel Core i5-3210M
Single-Core	648	693
Multi-Core	1432	1489

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-7020U	Intel Core i5-3210M
Announcement date	July 07, 2018	January 01, 2012
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FC-BGA1356, FCBGA1356	PGA988B
Core name	Kaby Lake	Ivy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	3
Turbo Frequency		3.1 MHz
Frequency	2.3 MHz	2.5 MHz
Cores	2	2
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	22 nm
Transistors count	1700 millions	2400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	35 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600	DDR3/L/-RS 1333/1600
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	25.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	3 MB	3 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-3210M is 8% better than Core i3-7020U in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-7020U is better: 9
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-3210M is better: 16
Although it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-7020U and Intel Core i5-3210M before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-7020U - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-7020U specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-3210M specs and review.