Minimum System Requirements of an Intel Core i3 Processor | Small Business
By Josh Fredman
Intel sells its best processors under the Core brand. Core processors come in three categories of performance: i3, i5, and i7. The Core i3 processors round out the low end of the Core series. They offer robust performance but have limited support for high-end applications and technologies.
Core i3 Series
-
When you build a new computer, you usually start with the central processor. In that sense, CPUs don’t have system requirements. They set the requirements for other hardware components. If you are upgrading an existing computer, however, you must match the new processor to your existing hardware or else make expensive upgrades. Because of developments over the past several years, if you upgrade from an older processor to a Core i3 you will probably need to upgrade your motherboard too. With a motherboard upgrade comes the possibility of needing to upgrade other hardware components, as these must be compatible with the motherboard.
CPU Socket
-
The socket where your central processor plugs into your main board comprises the most essential connection in your computer. All other hardware requirements follow from this pairing. The Core i3-5xx processor series uses an LGA1156 socket and the Core i3-2xxx processor series use an LGA1155 socket. If you plan to upgrade to a Core i3, even from an earlier Core i3 processor, be sure to check the socket specifications of your current processor and the one you plan to buy. If the two don’t match you will need to buy a new motherboard unless your current board supports the new socket type, which is not likely.
RAM
-
The Intel Core i3 processor series supports DDR3 RAM with frequencies of 1,066 or 1,333 MHz. Faster RAM will be slowed down to 1,333 MHz. Slower RAM won’t be able to keep up and you should upgrade it.
Cooling Requirements
-
All Core i3 processors require a good fan and heat sink to dissipate wasted heat energy.
First- and second-generation Core i3 processors have maximum thermal design power ratings ranging from 16 to 73 watts, meaning their cooling systems must be capable of dissipating that much power in the form of heat. These modest thermal limits reflect the Core i3’s low-end status compared to the much hotter-running Core i5 and Core i7 processors, but nevertheless you may want to consider upgrading the stock cooling unit that comes with the processor. If you do, make sure it fits the CPU socket before you buy it.
References
- Intel Support: Processors: Core i3 Desktop Processor
- Intel: 2nd Generation Intel Core i3 Processor Specifications
Writer Bio
Josh Fredman is a freelance pen-for-hire and Web developer living in Seattle. He attended the University of Washington, studying engineering, and worked in logistics, health care and newspapers before deciding to go to work for himself.
Intel Haswell 4th Generation Core i3 Processors
|
4th Gen Core i3 4350T 3. Discontinued |
|
|
4th Gen Core i3 4360T 3.2GHz 35W HD4600 4MB Dual Core CPU Discontinued |
|
|
4th Gen Core i3 4360 3.7GHz 54W HD4600 4MB Dual Core CPU Discontinued |
|
|
4th Gen Core i3 4340 3.6GHz 54W HD4600 4MB Dual Core CPU Discontinued |
|
|
4th Gen Core i3 4130T 2.9GHz 35W HD4400 3MB Dual Core CPU Discontinued |
|
|
4th Gen Core i3 4330T 3.0GHz 35W HD4600 4MB Dual Core CPU Discontinued |
|
|
4th Gen Core i3 4370 3.8GHz 54W HD4600 4MB Dual Core CPU Discontinued |
|
| More variations available Show | |
1GHz 35W HD4600 4MB Dual Core CPUReplaces the Intel LGA1155 Ivy Bridge Processors
See also Intel Haswell 4th Generation [url=haswell-i5]mid-range Core i5[/url] and [url=haswell-i7]high-end Core i7[/url] Processors.
Originally launched in June 2013, Intel’s latest CPUs were codenamed ‘Haswell’ but are now more officially known as 4th Generation Intel Core processors. The familiar i3 /i5 / i7 branding is retained and easily allows customers to identify the entry level, mid-range and premium versions respectively. As you might expect, with this new generation of processors comes improved performance and an overall reduction in power requirements, although the highest-performance variants actually consume 13 watts more than their 3rd generation counterparts at full throttle.
Improved on-board graphics
Perhaps the biggest improvement is in the area of embedded graphics. With this new generation of CPUs the graphics are now known as HD 4600 and with the change of name comes about a significant improvement in performance, especially for 3D games and applications. Furthermore, up to three separate displays can now be driven simultaneously, reducing the need for a discrete graphics card where triple-head monitors are required.
Guide to suffix variants
The single-letter suffix on each model of processor denotes whether it can be overclocked (K), or is low-power (S) or ultra-low power (T). Note that ‘power’ in this context refers to electrical power, not computational power. We recommend S or T suffix processors where cool-running / energy saving is required, or K-series processors where maximum performance is desirable and sufficient cooling can be provided accordingly.
Variant performance comparisons
In terms of computational performance, Intel don’t provide official figures for their processors because so much depends on other hardware such as motherboard, type of memory, etc. So instead, we would suggest that potential customers refer to real-world empirical performance benchmarks such as those published by Passmark and quoted / linked to in the specification table below. These allow a simple comparison to be made between the different variants of processors and are based upon the averaged results of many users’ PC systems across the world.
An opinion about the relative performance differences between each model of processor can therefore be quickly formed.
Show specifications and reviews for:Core i3 4130T CPUCore i3 4330T CPUCore i3 4340 CPUCore i3 4350T CPUCore i3 4360 CPUCore i3 4360T CPUCore i3 4370 CPU
| Specifications | Core i3 4130T CPU | Core i3 4330T CPU | Core i3 4340 CPU | Core i3 4350T CPU | Core i3 4360 CPU | Core i3 4360T CPU | Core i3 4370 CPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clock speed stock | 2.9 GHz | 3.0 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.1 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 3.8 GHz |
| Cores / threads | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 2/4 |
| L3 Smart Cache | 3MB | 4MB | 4MB | 4MB | 4MB | 4MB | 4MB |
| Hyper-Threading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Typical Passmark score | 4205 | 4600 | 5100 | Coming soon | 5480 | 4874 | 5579 |
| HD Graphics speed (stock) | 200 MHz | 200 MHz | 350 MHz | 350 MHz | 350 MHz | 350 MHz | 350 MHz |
| HD Graphics speed (max) | 1150 MHz | 1150 MHz | 1150 MHz | 1150 MHz | 1150 MHz | 1150 MHz | 1150 MHz |
| HD Graphics | 4400 | 4600 | 4600 | 4600 | 4600 | 4600 | 4600 |
| Thermal Design Power (TDP), watts | 35W | 35W | 54W | 35W | 54W | 35W | 54W |
| vPro management | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| VT-d Virtualisation | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Socket type | 1150 | 1150 | 1150 | 1150 | 1150 | 1150 | 1150 |
| Codename | Haswell | Haswell | Haswell | Haswell-refresh | Haswell-refresh | Haswell-refresh | Haswell-refresh |
| Lithography | 22 nm | 22 nm | 22 nm | 22 nm | 22 nm | 22 nm | 22 nm |
| Packaging | OEM | OEM | OEM | OEM | OEM | OEM | OEM |
| More information | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Warranty | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months | 24 months |
| EAN barcode | 5032037055574 |
|
5032037056052 |
|
5032037062398 |
|
5032037066983 |
| Specifications | Core i3 4130T CPU | Core i3 4330T CPU | Core i3 4340 CPU | Core i3 4350T CPU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clock speed stock | 2. 9 GHz |
3.0 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.1 GHz |
| Cores / threads | 2/4 | |||
| L3 Smart Cache | 3MB | 4MB | ||
| Hyper-Threading | Yes | |||
| Typical Passmark score | 4205 | 4600 | 5100 | Coming soon |
| HD Graphics speed (stock) | 200 MHz | 350 MHz | ||
| HD Graphics speed (max) | 1150 MHz | |||
| HD Graphics | 4400 | 4600 | ||
| Thermal Design Power (TDP), watts | 35W | 54W | 35W | |
| vPro management | No | |||
| VT-d Virtualisation | No | |||
| Socket type | 1150 | |||
| Codename | Haswell | Haswell-refresh | ||
| Lithography | 22 nm | |||
| Packaging | OEM | |||
| More information | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Warranty | 24 months | |||
| EAN barcode | 5032037055574 |
|
5032037056052 |
|
| Specifications | Core i3 4360 CPU | Core i3 4360T CPU | Core i3 4370 CPU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock speed stock | 3. 7 GHz |
3.2 GHz | 3.8 GHz |
| Cores / threads | 2/4 | ||
| L3 Smart Cache | 4MB | ||
| Hyper-Threading | Yes | ||
| Typical Passmark score | 5480 | 4874 | 5579 |
| HD Graphics speed (stock) | 350 MHz | ||
| HD Graphics speed (max) | 1150 MHz | ||
| HD Graphics | 4600 | ||
| Thermal Design Power (TDP), watts | 54W | 35W | 54W |
| vPro management | No | ||
| VT-d Virtualisation | No | ||
| Socket type | 1150 | ||
| Codename | Haswell-refresh | ||
| Lithography | 22 nm | ||
| Packaging | OEM | ||
| More information | Here | Here | Here |
| Warranty | 24 months | ||
| EAN barcode | 5032037062398 |
|
5032037066983 |
See Also
CPUs (Processors)
Product Resources
- Intel website
Intel Implements Soft CPU Upgrade Feature in Linux Kernel / Sudo Null IT News It is currently undergoing the latest changes, including a patch with the Intel Software Defined Silicon (SDSi) driver.
This function allows you to programmatically enable or disable the hardware capabilities of the CPU. For example, enable / disable cores or instruction set extensions, increase clock speed or cache size. The responsible maintainer promised to complete Intel’s patch review no later than February 17, 2022.
According to some experts, Intel is reintroducing the paid feature activation model of the CPU with this driver. It also makes clearer the meaning of the recent software ban on activating AVX-512 instructions in the latest models of Alder Lake processors.
In September 2021, Intel proposed a patch with the Intel Software Defined Silicon driver for inclusion in the Linux kernel. In the description of the patch, it was indicated that this is a mechanism for activating additional functions on the chip:
“Features are activated through the license activation process. The per-socket SDSi driver provides applications with a
ioctlinterface to perform three basic functions:
- Provide an authentication key certificate (AKC).
This key is stored in the NVRAM memory and is used to authenticate the feature-specific payload.
- Provide Capability Activation Payload (CAP), an AKC-authenticated token to activate a new feature in the CPU configuration.
- Read SDSi status certificate with CPU configuration.
The
ioctloperations execute function-specific commands that forward requests to the SDSi hardware to perform payload authentication and enable chip configuration (which will be available after a power cycle).The SDSi device itself is listed as PCIe VSEC on the Intel Out Of Band Management Services Module (OOBMSM). SDSi Device Represents Driver Cell
intel_pmt MFDwith dependencyCONFIG_MFD_INTEL_PMT«.
The SDSi driver will allow you to activate additional CPU hardware features when you purchase a license. There are no details yet on exactly what «upgrades» to the processor Intel will offer.
The feature is likely to be implemented initially in Xeon server processors.
A decade ago, Intel unsuccessfully tried a similar approach in the consumer segment with the Intel Upgrade Service: selling activation codes for CPU upgrades.
This feature was first introduced for the Pentium G6951 desktop processor in September 2010. For just $50, a user could enable an additional megabyte of cache and hyper-threading on the CPU, so that the Pentium G6951 practically turned into a Core i3-530 in terms of technical characteristics, except for a slightly lower clock speed (2.8 GHz instead of 2.93 GHz).
Pentium G6951 on Intel DH55PJ motherboard, source
In 2011, the program was extended to several more mobile and desktop processors of the Sandy Bridge family:
- Core i3-2312M 2.1 GHz with 3 MB cache turned into more expensive Core i3-2393M 2.5 GHz 4 MB
- Core i3-2102 (3.
1 GHz) → Core i3-2153 (3.6 GHz) - Pentium G622 (2.6 GHz) → Pentium G693 (3.2 GHz)
After widespread criticism, Intel initially defended the program, but was forced to phase it out in 2011.
Currently, the repository on GitHub contains only the interface code for SDSi. There are no examples of «payloads» that will activate specific CPU functions.
Experts note that the Intel SDSi patch is being considered on an expedited basis. It is being rushed into the latest updates for kernel 5.18 (March 2022). This indicates that Intel plans to enable SDSi in the new Alder Lake family of Xeon processors that are slated for release soon.
If Intel tried to have time to implement the patch specifically in the 5.18 kernel, then processors with SDSi support will be released sooner in 2022 than in 2023-2024.
There is a version that the AVX-512 instruction set will become a paid upgrade option in Alder Lake Xeon processors.
Intel has not yet made any official statements about SDSi and the forced disabling of the AVX-512 instruction set in new CPUs.
Core i3-7020U [in 13 benchmarks]
Intel
Core i3-7020U
- Interface
- Core frequency
- Video memory size
- Memory type
- Memory frequency
- Maximum resolution
Description
Intel launched the Intel Core i3-7020U on August 30, 2016 at a suggested retail price of $281. This is a Kaby Lake architecture notebook processor primarily aimed at office systems. It has 2 cores and 4 threads and is manufactured on 14 nm process technology, the maximum frequency is 2300 MHz, the multiplier is locked.
In terms of compatibility, this is a processor for socket FC-BGA1356, FCBGA1356 with a TDP of 15W. It supports DDR4 memory.
It provides poor benchmark performance at
2.
54%
from the leader, which is AMD EPYC 7h22.
Core i3
7020U
vs
EPYC
7h22
General information
Information about the type (desktop or laptop) and architecture of the Core i3-7020U, as well as when sales started and cost at that time.
Safety Technologies
Technologies built into the Core i3-7020U that enhance system security, such as hacking protection.
| TXT | — | |
| EDB | + | |
| Secure Key | + | |
| MPX | + | |
| Identity Protection0113 | ||
| OS Guard | + |
Virtualization Technologies
Technologies supported by Core i3-7020U that speed up virtual machines are listed.
| AMD-V | + | |
| VT-d | + | |
| VT-x | + | |
| EPT | + |
Higher memory frequency may be supported depending on the motherboard. | Memory types | DDR4 | out of 5200 (Ryzen 5 7600X)
Overall performance in testsThis is our overall performance rating. We regularly improve our algorithms, but if you find any inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in the comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
i3-7020U
Passmark Passmark CPU Mark is a widely used benchmark consisting of 8 different tests, including integer and floating point calculations, extended instruction tests, compression, encryption and game physics calculations. Benchmark coverage: 69%
i3-7020U GeekBench 5 Single-CoreGeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application designed as CPU benchmarks that independently recreate certain real world tasks that can accurately measure performance. This version uses only one processor core. Benchmark coverage: 38%
i3-7020U GeekBench 5 Multi-CoreGeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks that can be used to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available processor cores. Benchmark coverage: 38%
i3-7020U Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core Cinebench R10 is a very outdated ray tracing benchmark for processors developed by the authors of Cinema 4D, Maxon. Benchmark coverage: 20%
i3-7020U Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-coreCinebench Release 10 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R10 that uses all processor threads. The possible number of threads in this version is limited to 16. Benchmark coverage: 20%
i3-7020U Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-coreCinebench Release 15 Multi Core (sometimes referred to as Multi-Thread) is a variant of Cinebench R15 that uses all of the processor’s threads. Benchmark coverage: 14%
i3-7020U Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core Cinebench R15 (Release 15) is a benchmark created by Maxon, the creator of the popular Cinema 4D 3D modeling package. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench using more modern variants of the Cinema 4D engine. Benchmark coverage: 14%
i3-7020U TrueCrypt AESTrueCrypt is a deprecated program that was widely used to encrypt disk partitions on the fly. It contains several built-in benchmarks, one of which is TrueCrypt AES. It measures the speed of data encryption using the AES algorithm. The result of the test is the encryption speed in gigabytes per second. Benchmark coverage: 13%
i3-7020U x264 encoding pass 2x264 Pass 2 is a slower MPEG4 x264 video compression benchmark, resulting in a variable bit rate output file. This results in a better quality of the resulting video file, as a higher bit rate is used when it is needed more. The benchmark result is still measured in frames per second. Benchmark coverage: 13%
i3-7020U x264 encoding pass 1 The x264 benchmark uses the MPEG 4 x264 compression method to encode the HD (720p) sample video. Benchmark coverage: 13%
i3-7020U WinRAR 4.0WinRAR 4.0 is an outdated version of the popular archiver. It contains an internal speed test using maximum compression by the RAR algorithm on large amounts of randomly generated data. Results are measured in kilobytes per second. Benchmark coverage: 13%
i3-7020U Geekbench 3 32-bit multi-coreBenchmark coverage: 6%
i3-7020U Geekbench 3 32-bit single-coreBenchmark coverage: 6%
i3-7020U Relative capacity
Core i3-7020U overall performance compared to its nearest competitor in notebook processors.
Intel Core i7-4510U
Intel Pentium 4-M P4-M 1.7
Intel Core i5-4258U
Intel Core i3-7020U
AMD A10-9620P
AMD Phenom II X2 N640
Intel Core i5-3230M Competitor from AMDWe believe that the nearest equivalent to Core i3-7020U from AMD is A10-9620P, which is approximately equal in speed and lower by 1 position in our rating. Compare Here are some of AMD’s closest competitors to the Core i3-7020U:
AMD A12-9720P
AMD FX-7600P
AMD Pro A12-8800B
Intel Core i3-7020U
AMD A10-9620P
AMD Phenom II X2 N640
AMD Phenom II X4 N950 Other processorsHere we recommend several processors that are more or less similar in performance to the reviewed one. Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare Recommended video cardsAccording to our statistics these video cards are most often used with Core i3-7020U: 18% 15% 13% 9. |
Also includes a separate single-threaded test. 
The Single-Core version uses a single CPU thread to render a futuristic motorcycle model. 
The Single Core version (sometimes referred to as Single-Thread) uses only one CPU thread to render a room full of mirror balls and complexly shaped lights. 
Pass 1 is a faster option that produces an output file at a constant bit rate. Its result is measured in frames per second, that is, how many frames of the source video file were encoded in one second on average. 
97
