Intel Core i5-7287U vs Intel Core i3-8121U

Processor comparisons   20-01-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-7287U vs Intel Core i3-8121U and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, video editing, rendering, machine learning. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as PassMark, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, 3DMark, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, VeraCrypt, Prime95, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, Blender, SuperPi, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, MATLAB, RealBench.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i3-8121U or Intel Core i5-7287U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-7287U

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-7287U

51%

Core i3-8121U

51%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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 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 processors were compared: Metro Exodus, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	90.3	90.1
Valorant	102.7	102.4
Cyberpunk 2077	57.5	57.3
Apex Legends	96.5	96.2
Call of Duty Warzone	77.0	76.8
Overwatch	83.2	82.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.8	70.6
DOOM Eternal	51.3	51.2
Warzone	80.1	79.9
Assassin's Creed	86.2	86.0
Valheim	85.2	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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i5-7287U

106%

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 i3-8121U is more energy efficient than the Core i5-7287U since it has less power consumption: 28W vs. 15W. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. 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 program 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 i5-7287U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	158	139
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	401	305
Cinbench 20 Single-core	280	340
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	904	598
Cinbench 23 Single-core	611	563
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2330	2184

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

	Intel Core i5-7287U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	2132	1939
Multi-Core	4136	4369

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

	Intel Core i5-7287U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Single-Core	894	901
Multi-Core	2292	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 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even 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 i5-7287U	Intel Core i3-8121U
Announcement date	March 07, 2017	July 07, 2018
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	Unknown	Unknown
Core name	Kaby Lake	Cannon Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	8
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.2 MHz
Frequency	3.3 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	4800 millions	1800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	28 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600	DDR4-2400, LPDDR4/x-2400
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 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 i5-7287U is 33% better than Core i3-8121U 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 i5-7287U is better: 21
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-8121U is better: 8
However, it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i5-7287U and Intel Core i3-8121U before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-7287U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-7287U 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.