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

✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 63.6 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $41 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120

2025

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Costs $41 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).
✅Delivers 14.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($299 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 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 63.6 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core 5 120?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.6% 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, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is $41 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $340 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 14.8% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 63.6 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play 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 2020) and a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	170 FPS	203 FPS
medium	147 FPS	174 FPS
high	118 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	169 FPS
medium	123 FPS	141 FPS
high	99 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	85 FPS
medium	72 FPS	76 FPS
high	57 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	471 FPS	464 FPS
medium	401 FPS	387 FPS
high	338 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	397 FPS
medium	355 FPS	334 FPS
high	309 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	263 FPS
medium	243 FPS	226 FPS
high	223 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	541 FPS	546 FPS
medium	541 FPS	473 FPS
high	541 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	508 FPS
medium	491 FPS	413 FPS
high	445 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	348 FPS
medium	347 FPS	292 FPS
high	303 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	541 FPS	546 FPS
medium	541 FPS	546 FPS
high	541 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	546 FPS
medium	541 FPS	546 FPS
high	541 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	529 FPS
medium	499 FPS	484 FPS
high	440 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Ryzen 5 5600X

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 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 5 120 and Ryzen 5 5600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 1% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.6 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+48%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	32 MB+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)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	21,629	21,845

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
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	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($340 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $41 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 13.8% better value option.