Intel Core i3-8109U vs Intel Core i3-8121U

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i3-8109U or Intel Core i3-8109U – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i3-8109U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2017 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-8109U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1528 socket.
The Intel Core i3-8121U features 2 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2018 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Intel Core i3 series.
To use the Intel Core i3-8121U, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1356 socket.
Intel Core i 8000U Group Intel Core i 8000U
8 Generation 8
Mobile Segment Mobile
Intel Core i3-8109U Name Intel Core i3-8121U
Intel Core i3 Family Intel Core i3
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i3-8109U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-8109U is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.6 GHz.
The Intel Core i3-8121U has 2 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i3-8121U is 2.2 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.2 GHz.
4 Threads 4
2x Cores 2x
2 CPU Cores 2
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking No
3.6 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 3.2 GHz
3.0 GHz Frequency 2.2 GHz
3.2 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) 2.7 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i3-8109U has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i3-8109U uses the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, which has 384 texture shaders
and 48 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i3-8121U does not have integrated graphics.
384 Shaders --
Q4/2017 Release date --
14 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
32.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
48 Execution units --
0.3 GHz GPU frequency --
9.5 Generation --
1.05 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 GPU name
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 32.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133 Memory type DDR4-2400, LPDDR4-2400
Yes ECC No
32.0 GB Max. Memory 32.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
38.4 GB/s Bandwidth 38.4 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 28 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 15 W watts.
20 W TDP down None
28 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 15 W
100 °C Tjunction max 105 °C
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i3-8109U is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 4.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i3-8121U is manufactured using a 10 nm process.
Q4/2017 Release date Q2/2018
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512
14 nm Technology 10 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
-- Release price --
Coffee Lake U Architecture Cannon Lake U
4.0 MB L3-Cache 4.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
BGA 1528 Socket BGA 1356
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
8197
8197
Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
7794
7794

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
4078
4078
Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
3956
3956

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
2524
2524
Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
2414
2414

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
2021
2021
Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
1987
1987

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
1185
1185
Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
1114
1114

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
381
381
Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
305
305

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i3-8109U
2C 4T @ 3.0 GHz
153
153
Intel Core i3-8121U
2C 4T @ 2.2 GHz
139
139