Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i3-8121U. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Segment
  Mobile Mobile
• Family
  Intel Core i3 Intel Core i3
• Generation
  8 8
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 8000U Intel Core i 8000U

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Frequency
  3.00 GHz 2.20 GHz
• CPU Cores
  2 2
• Turbo (1 Core)
  3.60 GHz 3.20 GHz
• CPU Threads
  4 4
• Turbo (2 Cores)
  3.20 GHz 2.70 GHz
• Hyperthreading
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  No No
• Core architecture
  normal normal

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 no iGPU
• GPU frequency
  0.30 GHz
• GPU (Turbo)
  1.05 GHz No turbo
• Execution units
  48
• Shader
  384
• Max. GPU Memory
  32 GB --
• Max. displays
  3
• Generation
  9.5
• DirectX Version
  12
• Technology
  14 nm
• Release date
  Q4/2017

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  Decode / Encode No
• h264
  Decode / Encode No
• VP9
  Decode / Encode No
• VP8
  Decode / Encode No
• AV1
  No No
• AVC
  Decode / Encode No
• VC-1
  Decode No
• JPEG
  Decode / Encode No

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Intel Core i3-8121U and Intel Core i3-8109U. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM
• Max. Memory
  32 GB
• ECC
  Yes No
• Memory channels
  2 2
• PCIe version
  3.0 3.0
• PCIe lanes
  16 16

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Intel Core i3-8109U and Intel Core i3-8121U to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  28 W 15 W
• TDP down
  20 W --

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Intel Core i3-8109U and Intel Core i3-8121U, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512
• L3-Cache
  4.00 MB 4.00 MB
• Architecture
  Coffee Lake U Cannon Lake U
• Technology
  14 nm 10 nm
• Socket
  BGA 1528 BGA 1356
• Release date
  Q4/2017 Q2/2018