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

✅+22.3% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 63.6 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $141 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 39.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 21,629).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120

2025

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅+22.3% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $141 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 39.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 63.6 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 21,629).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 3600 is ahead with a 7.2% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 pulls ahead with 22.3% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 3600 also has the bigger cache pool with 77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 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 22.3% 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 still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core 5 120 is 70.9% more expensive on MSRP at $340 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you 22.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 3600 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.2% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 39.7% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 63.6 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 3600 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 2019), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	170 FPS	200 FPS
medium	147 FPS	161 FPS
high	118 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	154 FPS
medium	123 FPS	119 FPS
high	99 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	70 FPS
medium	72 FPS	58 FPS
high	57 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	471 FPS	442 FPS
medium	401 FPS	404 FPS
high	338 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	420 FPS
medium	355 FPS	359 FPS
high	309 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	297 FPS
medium	243 FPS	259 FPS
high	223 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	201 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	541 FPS	442 FPS
medium	541 FPS	442 FPS
high	541 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	442 FPS
medium	491 FPS	442 FPS
high	445 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	442 FPS
medium	347 FPS	361 FPS
high	303 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	541 FPS	442 FPS
medium	541 FPS	442 FPS
high	541 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	442 FPS
medium	541 FPS	442 FPS
high	541 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	442 FPS
medium	499 FPS	442 FPS
high	440 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	357 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Ryzen 5 3600

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.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 5 120 and Ryzen 5 3600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 6.9% clock advantage for the Core 5 120 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 20.1% lead for the Core 5 120. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+7%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+44%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+78%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	21,629+22%	17,685
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
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	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120) / Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 3600
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	Yes
Target Use	—	Gaming/Budget Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($340 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $141 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 88.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 33.1% better value option.