Intel Core i3-8145U vs Intel Core i3-8121U

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i3-8145U vs Intel Core i3-8121U and understand which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, rendering, programming, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as Blender, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, SuperPi, WPrime, Gears 5, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, Handbrake, AIDA64, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-8121U or Intel Core i3-8145U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i3-8145U

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-8145U

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.3	90.1
Valorant	102.6	102.4
Cyberpunk 2077	57.4	57.3
Apex Legends	96.4	96.2
Call of Duty Warzone	76.9	76.8
Overwatch	83.1	82.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.8	70.6
DOOM Eternal	51.3	51.2
Warzone	80.0	79.9
Assassin's Creed	86.2	86.0
Valheim	85.1	85.0

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-8145U

226%

Core i3-8121U

200%

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 i3-8145U is more energy efficient than the Core i3-8121U as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages 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 i3-8145U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	160	139
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	338	305
Cinbench 20 Single-core	296	340
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	521	598
Cinbench 23 Single-core	491	563
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	1905	2184

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

	Intel Core i3-8145U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	2152	1939
Multi-Core	3810	4369

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

	Intel Core i3-8145U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	1017	901
Multi-Core	2215	2063

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-8145U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Announcement date	November 07, 2018	July 07, 2018
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	FCBGA1528	Unknown
Core name	Whiskey Lake	Cannon Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	8
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.2 MHz
Frequency	2.1 MHz	2.2 MHz
Cores	2	2
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	4 GT/s	4 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	10 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	1800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400
Max. Memory	64 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	37.5 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	4 MB	4 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i3-8121U is 4% better than Core i3-8145U 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 i3-8145U is better: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8121U is better: 7
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i3-8145U and Intel Core i3-8121U before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i3-8145U - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-8145U specs and review.

Intel Core i3-8121U - all data

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

• Intel Core i3-8121U specs and review.