Intel Core i3-8121U

The Intel Core i3-8121U is a power efficient entry-level dual-core processor for laptops. It is the first 10nm CPU from Intel and based on the new Cannon-Lake architecture. It offers 2 processor cores clocked at 2.2 (base) to 3.1 GHz (boost) and no integrated graphics card (therefore 2+0 setup according to Intel). Furthermore, a DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4/x-2400 memory controller (dual-channel, max. 41.6 GB/s, max. 32 GB) is integrated in the SoC.

First benchmarks show a similar performance to the higher clocked Intel Core i3-8130U (2.2 - 3.4 GHz, Kaby Lake, 14nm) and therefore in the entry level for laptops.

The CPU was introduced in the Lenovo IdeaPad-15ICN with a dedicated AMD Radeon RX 540 GPU and also in the Crimson Canyon NUC (also with a dedicated AMD GPU).

Benchmarks

Cinebench R15 - CPU Multi 64Bit

317.6 Points (7%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Intel NUC8i3CYSM	Radeon RX 540	8 MB	1124 / 1500 MHz	2048MB 25.20.15008.2	317.56

AMD A4-1200 -90%

...

Intel Core i5-5257U -4%

Intel Core i5-4210M -4%

Intel Core i5-6300U -3%

Intel Core i7-6500U -3%

Intel Core i5-6360U -3%

Intel Core i7-4600M -2%

Intel Core i7-6560U -2%

AMD Ryzen 3 2200U -2%

Intel Core i5-4300M -1%

Intel Core i3-8121U

AMD A10-7850K 0%

Intel Core i5-4200H 2%

Intel Core i7-6600U 2%

Intel Core i5-7200U 2%

Intel Core i5-4310M 3%

AMD A10-6800K 3%

Intel Core i3-7100H 3%

Intel Core i5-6267U 3%

Intel Core i5-4210H 3%

...

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX 1278%

0%

100%

Cinebench R15 - CPU Single 64Bit

133 Points (61%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Intel NUC8i3CYSM	Radeon RX 540	8 MB	1124 / 1500 MHz	2048MB 25.20.15008.2	133

AMD A4-1200 -86%

...

Intel Core i7-4712MQ -2%

Intel Core i5-6267U -2%

Intel Core i7-6560U -1%

Intel Core i7-4710MQ -1%

Intel Core i5-8210Y -1%

Intel Core i7-4770HQ -1%

Intel Core i7-4600M -1%

Intel Core i7-6650U -1%

Intel Core i7-4700MQ -1%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i7-4710HQ 0%

AMD Ryzen 5 1400 1%

Intel Core i5-6400 1%

Intel Core i7-6770HQ 1%

AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U 2%

AMD Ryzen 3 1200 2%

Intel Core i7-4720HQ 2%

Intel Core i5-4460 2%

AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 2%

...

Intel Core i7-8086K 56%

0%

100%

3DMark 06 - CPU

4314 Points (30%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Intel NUC8i3CYSM	Radeon RX 540	8 MB	1124 / 1500 MHz	2048MB 25.20.15008.2	4314

Intel Mobile A A110 -92%

...

Intel Core i7-6500U -5%

Intel Core i5-4300M -4%

Intel Core i5-5257U -3%

AMD FX-8800P -2%

Intel Core i3-7100H -2%

Intel Core 2 Quad (Desktop) Q9550 -2%

Intel Core i7-4558U -1%

AMD A8-5600K 0%

Intel Core i5-7200U 0%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i7-3540M 0%

Intel Core i5-750 0%

Intel Core i7-6600U 0%

Intel Core i5-4200H 1%

Intel Core i5-4330M 1%

Intel Core i5-7267U 1%

AMD A8-7650K 2%

Intel Core i7-7500U 3%

Intel Core i5-6267U 3%

...

Intel Core i7-9700K 202%

0%

100%

3DMark 11 - Performance Physics 1280x720

4597 points (25%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Intel NUC8i3CYSM	Radeon RX 540	8 MB	1124 / 1500 MHz	2048MB 25.20.15008.2	4597

Intel Atom N2600

...

Intel Core i7-7600U -5%

Intel Core i5-7300U -4%

Intel Core i7-740QM -4%

Intel Core i7-6560U -4%

Intel Core i5-6260U -4%

Intel Core i7-5557U -4%

Intel Core i7-6600U -3%

Intel Core i7-7500U -2%

Intel Core i3-7100H -1%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i5-6360U 0%

Intel Core i7-3540M 1%

Intel Core i5-6267U 2%

Intel Core i7-840QM 2%

Intel Core i7-7560U 2%

Intel Core i5-7267U 6%

Intel Core i7-6650U 7%

Intel Core i5-750 7%

Intel Core i5-7360U 10%

...

Intel Core i9-9980HK 297%

0%

100%

3DMark - Ice Storm Unlimited Physics 1280x720 offscreen

42050 Points (49%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICN	Radeon RX 540	8192 MB			42050

Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8625Q -93%

...

Apple A12X Bionic -6%

Intel Core i7-6950X -5%

Intel Core i7-7Y75 -5%

Intel Core i7-8500Y -4%

Intel Core i7-3720QM -4%

Intel Core i7-4750HQ -3%

AMD FX-8350 -3%

Intel Core i5-6267U -2%

Intel Core i5-7200U -1%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Xeon E5-2680 v4 1%

AMD Ryzen 3 2200U 1%

Intel Core i9-8950HK 2%

Intel Core i7-6600U 3%

Intel Core i7-5500U 4%

Intel Core i7-5600U 5%

Intel Core i7-6560U 5%

Intel Core i5-7267U 6%

Intel Core i7-2600K 6%

...

Intel Core i7-9700K 100%

0%

100%

3DMark - Cloud Gate Standard Physics 1280x720

min: 3125     avg: 3286.5     median: 3286.5 (8%)     max: 3448 Points

+ 2 benchmarks and specifications- 2 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICN	Radeon RX 540	8192 MB			3125
Intel NUC8i3CYSM	Radeon RX 540	8 MB	1124 / 1500 MHz	2048MB 25.20.15008.2	3448

Intel Atom x7-Z8700 -93%

...

AMD A8-6600K -5%

Intel Core i3-3220 -5%

Intel Core i5-4300M -5%

Intel Core i5-5350U -4%

Intel Core i3-6100H -4%

Intel Core i7-4600M -4%

Intel Core i5-6260U -2%

Intel Core i7-5500U 0%

AMD A10-6800K 0%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i5-6267U 0%

Intel Core i7-6500U 1%

Intel Core i5-4310M 1%

Intel Core i5-6300U 1%

Intel Core i7-5600U 2%

Intel Core i5-4200H 2%

Intel Core i5-4210H 3%

Intel Core i7-3520M 3%

Intel Core i7-6560U 4%

...

Intel Core i9-9900K 444%

0%

100%

3DMark - Fire Strike Physics 1920x1080

5127 Points (19%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Intel NUC8i3CYSM	Radeon RX 540	8 MB	1124 / 1500 MHz	2048MB 25.20.15008.2	5127

AMD A4-1200 -93%

...

Intel Core i5-6267U -6%

Intel Core i5-4210H -6%

Intel Core i5-4200H -5%

Intel Core i5-7200U -5%

Intel Core i7-5600U -4%

Intel Core i7-3540M -3%

Intel Core i7-6560U -2%

Intel Core i5-7300U -1%

Intel Core i7-6600U -1%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i5-5257U 0%

Intel Core i3-7100H 1%

Intel Core i5-7267U 1%

Intel Core i7-5650U 1%

Intel Core i7-7600U 5%

Intel Core i7-6650U 5%

Intel Core i7-7500U 5%

Intel Core i5-6400T 6%

Intel Core i3-8130U 7%

...

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X 429%

0%

100%

Geekbench 4.3 - 64 Bit Single-Core Score

4195 Points (66%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICN	Radeon RX 540	8192 MB			4195

Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 APQ8009 -90%

...

Intel Core i3-8130U -5%

Intel Core i7-6567U -3%

Intel Core i5-7Y57 -3%

Intel Core i3-8145U -2%

Intel Core i7-5700HQ -2%

Intel Core i5-8250U -1%

AMD Ryzen 3 2200G -1%

Intel Core i5-7267U 0%

Intel Core i5-8350U 0%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i5-7300U 1%

Apple A11 Bionic 1%

AMD Ryzen 5 2400G 2%

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 3%

AMD Ryzen 3 1300X 3%

Intel Core i7-7600U 5%

Intel Core i5-7287U 5%

Intel Core i7-7500U 6%

AMD Ryzen 5 1500X 6%

...

Intel Core i9-9900K 46%

0%

100%

Geekbench 4.3 - 64 Bit Multi-Core Score

7985 Points (22%)

+ 1 benchmarks and specifications- 1 benchmarks and specifications   + Show comparison chart - Hide comparison chart

Model	GPU	Memory	Core / Memory	GPU Memory	Value
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICN	Radeon RX 540	8192 MB			7985

Mediatek MT8321 -86%

...

Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 -11%

AMD A10-7850K -10%

Intel Core i5-7200U -7%

Intel Core i5-7Y57 -6%

AMD Ryzen 7 2700U -5%

Intel Core i7-5557U -3%

Intel Core i7-6560U -3%

Intel Core i3-8145U -2%

Intel Core i3-8130U -1%

Intel Core i3-8121U

Intel Core i7-8500Y 3%

Intel Core i5-7300U 4%

Intel Core i7-6567U 4%

Intel Core i7-7600U 4%

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 9%

Intel Core i5-7267U 9%

Intel Core i7-7500U 10%

Samsung Exynos 9810 11%

AMD Ryzen 7 3700U 12%

...

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X 353%

0%

100%

- Range of benchmark values for this graphics card
- Average benchmark values for this graphics card
* Smaller numbers mean a higher performance

Reviews for the Intel Core i3 8121U processor

Intel NUC8i3CYSM (AMD Radeon RX 540, ")
» Intel NUC8i3CYSM Review - Review

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICN (AMD Radeon RX 540, 15.6")
» Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ICN - External Review

Other CPUs of the series Intel Core i3

Surrounding CPUs