PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core 5 120

2025

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700B across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌
5.3% HIGHER MSRP
$340 MSRPvs$323 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700B can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11700B

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $17 less on MSRP ($323 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 750, while Core 5 120 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,581 vs 21,629).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120

2025

Core i7-11700B

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $17 less on MSRP ($323 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 750, while Core 5 120 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700B across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌
5.3% HIGHER MSRP
$340 MSRPvs$323 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700B can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,581 vs 21,629).
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120 better than Core i7-11700B?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-11700B is ahead with a 6.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark. Core i7-11700B also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core 5 120 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Core 5 120 is 5.3% more expensive on MSRP at $340 MSRP versus $323 MSRP, and it gives you 0.2% better PassMark. Core i7-11700B only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop CPU, not because it is a serious desktop gaming option. It simply cannot keep up with modern games.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core 5 120 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core 5 120 Benchmark Check

Core i7-11700B Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
1080p
low	170 FPS	250 FPS
medium	147 FPS	231 FPS
high	118 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	167 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	222 FPS
medium	123 FPS	186 FPS
high	99 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	155 FPS
medium	72 FPS	131 FPS
high	57 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i7-11700B

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
1080p
low	471 FPS	540 FPS
medium	401 FPS	490 FPS
high	338 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	374 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	477 FPS
medium	355 FPS	421 FPS
high	309 FPS	365 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	317 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	294 FPS
medium	243 FPS	262 FPS
high	223 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i7-11700B

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
1080p
low	541 FPS	540 FPS
medium	541 FPS	540 FPS
high	541 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	540 FPS
medium	491 FPS	501 FPS
high	445 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	346 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	430 FPS
medium	347 FPS	369 FPS
high	303 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	260 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i7-11700B

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
1080p
low	541 FPS	540 FPS
medium	541 FPS	540 FPS
high	541 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	540 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	540 FPS
medium	541 FPS	540 FPS
high	541 FPS	540 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	522 FPS
medium	499 FPS	469 FPS
high	440 FPS	417 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	358 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i7-11700B

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Core i7-11700B

Core 5 120

The Core 5 120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,629 points. Launch price was $211.

Core i7-11700B

The Core i7-11700B is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: Up to 3200 MT/s. Passmark benchmark score: 21,581 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-11700B offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i7-11700B has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-11700B — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700B (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i7-11700B uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Core i7-11700B's 21,581 — a 0.2% lead for the Core 5 120. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11700B.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.8 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.2 GHz+28%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	21,629	21,581
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	10,287
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,265
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,050

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-11700B uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700B). The Core i7-11700B includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 750), while the Core 5 120 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-11700B targets Desktop.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i7-11700B
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel UHD Graphics 750
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Core i7-11700B debuted at $323. On MSRP ($340 vs $323), the Core i7-11700B is $17 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 66.8 pts/$ for the Core i7-11700B — making the Core i7-11700B the 4.9% better value option.