Intel Pentium G2020: Ivy Bridge with very low power consumption

Pentium G2020 sells for a very reasonable price under €55, graphics it can handle even three monitors and shows good performance especially at a really minimalist CPU power.

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Even though I had already reviewed Intel Pentium G860 3GHz and it would be only logical to order Pentium G2120 from the Ivy Bridge family (which is clocked the same as G860) for our next test, I chose G2020. Not only is it 600 CZK (or almost one-third) cheaper than its colleague (which is clocked at only 100MHz more), but it also costs less than G2010 2.8GHz. From the previous generation of Sandy Bridge processors, Pentium G630 is the closest one in terms of price. But that one is clocked at 200MHz less, while we know that Ivy Bridge has better clock-by-clock performance in comparison (usually up to 4%).

     

In terms of package and cooler size, lower Sandy Bridge is virtually the same as Ivy Bridge; when it comes to processors, there is no difference in functionality. They both support the same instruction sets; some users will be discontented because they also share the ones that they don't support (AES-NI, VT-d, AVX).

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Some progress was made with regard to GPU. Although it still has the same name "Intel HD (no number)" it is a GPU of a new generation. It can support up to three monitors and we know that, when used in similar circumstances, it is more efficient than its predecessors. So even though G2020 HD Graphics clocked at 650 to 1,050MHz (dynamically) might look slower than G860 HD with a frequency range of 850 to 1,100MHz, it is the other way round. The difference is not that big, but it is there.

You won't find a test of this particular GPU on our server yet because methodology for IGP and cheap discrete graphic cards is changing at the moment, but this review can serve as a taste of what it can do. And even though you can't really overclock G2020 from its nominal value of 2.9GHz (the best you can do is usually 29 x 3 to 4MHz, in other words, some 116MHz), an integrated HD Graphics with the right motherboard can go up to 1.3GHz.

 

 

Parameters of the chosen processors compared

Manufacturer Intel Intel Intel Intel Intel Intel 
Series Pentium Pentium Core i3Core i5Core i5Core i7
Model G860G202032203350P3570K3770K
Clock speed 3.0GHz2.9GHz3.3GHz3.1GHz 3.4GHz 3.5GHz
Turbo clock speed – – – 3.3GHz3.8GHz 3.9GHz
Number of cores 222444
Number of threads224448
Codename Sandy Bridge Ivy BridgeIvy BridgeIvy BridgeIvy BridgeIvy Bridge
L1 cache 2× 64 kB 2× 64 kB 2× 64 kB 4× 64 kB 4× 64 kB 4× 64 kB 
L2 cache 2× 256 kB 2× 256 kB 2× 256 kB 4× 256 kB 4× 256 kB 4× 256 kB 
L3 cache 3072 kB 3072 kB 3072 kB 6144 kB 6144 kB 8192 kB 
Memory typeDDR3-1333DDR3-1333DDR3-1600DDR3-1600DDR3-1600DDR3-1600
Channels222222
Maximum RAM capacity32 GB32 GB32 GB32 GB32 GB32 GB
Bus5GT/s (DMI)5GT/s (DMI)5GT/s (DMI)5GT/s (DMI)5GT/s (DMI)5GT/s (DMI)
BCLK100MHz100MHz100MHz100MHz100MHz100MHz
Clock multiplier 302934313435
Manufacturing process 32 nm high-k 22 nm high-k 22 nm high-k 22 nm high-k 22 nm high-k 22 nm high-k 
Core size 131 mm2 160 mm2 160 mm2 160 mm2 160 mm2 160 mm2 
Number of transistors 504 million 1.4 billion1.4 billion1.4 billion.1.4 billion1.4 billion
TDP 65W 55W55W69W77W77W
Instruction setsSSE4.1/4.2SSE4.1/4.2SSE4.1/4.2, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVX
VirtualizationVT-xVT-xVT-xVT-x, VT-dVT-xVT-x
Integrated graphic cardHDHDHD 2500HD 4000HD 4000
PCI Express2.0, 16×2.0, 16×2.0, 16×3.0, 16×3.0, 16×3.0, 16×
Socket 115511551155115511551155
Manufacturer AMD AMD AMD AMD AMD AMD 
Series A10FX FX FX FX FX 
Model 5800K61008120430063008350
Clock speed 3.8GHz 3.3 GHz 3.1GHz 3.8GHz3.5GHz4.0GHz
Turbo clock speed 4.2GHz3.6–3.9 GHz 3.4–4.0 GHz 3.9–4.0GHz3.8–4.1GHz4.1–4.2GHz
Number of cores 468468
Number of threads468468
Codename TrinityZambezi Zambezi VisheraVisheraVishera
L1 cache 4× 16 + 2× 64 kB 6× 16 + 3× 64 kB 8× 16 + 4× 64 kB 4× 16 + 2× 64 kB 6× 16 + 3× 64 kB 8× 16 + 4× 64 kB 
L2 cache 2× 2048 kB 3× 2048 kB 4× 2048 kB 2× 2048 kB 3× 2048 kB 4× 2048 kB 
L3 cache – 8192 kB 8192 kB 8192 kB 8192 kB 8192 kB 
Memory typeDDR3-1866DDR3-1866DDR3-1866DDR3-1866DDR3-1866DDR3-1866
Channels222222
Maximum RAM capacity64 GB32 GB32 GB32 GB32 GB32 GB
Bus5GT/s (UMI)5.2GT/s (HT) 5.2GT/s (HT) 5.2GT/s (HT) 5.2GT/s (HT) 5.2GT/s (HT) 
BCLK100MHz200MHz200MHz200MHz200MHz200MHz
Clock multiplier 3016.5181917.520
Manufacturing process 32 nm 32 nm 32 nm 32 nm 32 nm 32 nm 
Core size 224 mm2 319 mm2 319 mm2 319 mm2 319 mm2 319 mm2 
Number of transistors 1.18 billion approx. 1.6 billionapprox. 1.6 billionapprox. 1.6 billionapprox. 1.6 billionapprox. 1.6 billion
TDP 100W 95W 125W 95W95W125W 
Instruction setsSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVXSSE4.1/4.2, AES-NI, AVX
VirtualizationAMD-VAMD-VAMD-VAMD-VAMD-VAMD-V
Integrated graphic cardHD 7660D
PCI Express2.0, 20×
Socket FM2AM3+ AM3+ AM3+ AM3+ AM3+ 

 

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Comments

Comments

This review is even better than Tom's Hardware! Excellent! G2020 beats FX6100 and equals FX6300, amazing.

This is an awesome review. Been scouring for a review like this because I'm going to have my first gaming PC. Hahahaha. I'm so poor.

btw a fx 6300 destroy any pentium i3  offer from intel in gaming.....

 

with my 7950 bf4 at ultra 50fps + with direct x   and with mantle 60-120 fps

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