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

✅Costs $649 less on MSRP ($340 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 190.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 21,655).

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120

2025

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $649 less on MSRP ($340 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 190.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 21,655).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900X better than Core 5 120?

Yes. Core i9-9900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900X is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads.

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

Core i9-9900X is still the faster CPU overall, but Core 5 120 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-9900X is 190.9% more expensive on MSRP at $989 MSRP versus $340 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core 5 120 is also 190.5% better value on MSRP (63.6 vs 21.9 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1700 + DDR5 setup, Core 5 120 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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 2018) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066. 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 i9-9900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	170 FPS	178 FPS
medium	147 FPS	143 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	148 FPS
medium	123 FPS	117 FPS
high	99 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	81 FPS
medium	72 FPS	69 FPS
high	57 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i9-9900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	471 FPS	516 FPS
medium	401 FPS	431 FPS
high	338 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	323 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	447 FPS
medium	355 FPS	384 FPS
high	309 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	279 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	278 FPS
medium	243 FPS	239 FPS
high	223 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i9-9900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	541 FPS	541 FPS
medium	541 FPS	541 FPS
high	541 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	527 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	541 FPS
medium	491 FPS	518 FPS
high	445 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	458 FPS
medium	347 FPS	363 FPS
high	303 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i9-9900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
1080p
low	541 FPS	541 FPS
medium	541 FPS	541 FPS
high	541 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	541 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	541 FPS
medium	541 FPS	541 FPS
high	541 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	541 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	541 FPS
medium	499 FPS	541 FPS
high	440 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Core i9-9900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Core i9-9900X

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 i9-9900X

The Core i9-9900X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 21,655 points. Launch price was $989.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i9-9900X offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-9900X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9900X — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i9-9900X uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Core i9-9900X's 21,655 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i9-9900X. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900X.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.5 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	19.25 MB (total)+7%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	21,629	21,655
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	13,985
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,459
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,475

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-9900X uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
Socket	LGA1700	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	44

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9900X).

Feature	Core 5 120	Core i9-9900X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Core i9-9900X debuted at $989. On MSRP ($340 vs $989), the Core 5 120 is $649 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 21.9 pts/$ for the Core i9-9900X — making the Core 5 120 the 97.6% better value option.