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 $109 less on MSRP ($340 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$340 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120

2025

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $109 less on MSRP ($340 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌
32.1% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$340 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5800X better than Core 5 120?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5800X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 25.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 28.1% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5800X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 25.1% 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 7 5800X is the better fit. You are getting 28.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 5800X is still the faster CPU overall, but Core 5 120 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 5800X is 32.1% more expensive on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $340 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core 5 120 is also 3.1% better value on MSRP (63.6 vs 61.7 PassMark/$), 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 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 7 5800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	170 FPS	206 FPS
medium	147 FPS	178 FPS
high	118 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	170 FPS
medium	123 FPS	142 FPS
high	99 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	83 FPS
medium	72 FPS	74 FPS
high	57 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	471 FPS	662 FPS
medium	401 FPS	558 FPS
high	338 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	563 FPS
medium	355 FPS	493 FPS
high	309 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	350 FPS
medium	243 FPS	308 FPS
high	223 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	250 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	541 FPS	693 FPS
medium	541 FPS	651 FPS
high	541 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	693 FPS
medium	491 FPS	573 FPS
high	445 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	484 FPS
medium	347 FPS	410 FPS
high	303 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	302 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	541 FPS	693 FPS
medium	541 FPS	693 FPS
high	541 FPS	693 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	693 FPS
medium	541 FPS	693 FPS
high	541 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	593 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	604 FPS
medium	499 FPS	550 FPS
high	440 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Ryzen 7 5800X

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 7 5800X

The Ryzen 7 5800X 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 27,712 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5800X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5800X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800X — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5800X (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Ryzen 7 5800X's 27,712 — a 24.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 5800X. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.7 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
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	27,712+28%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
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 7 5800X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5800X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 5800X
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 7 5800X debuted at $449. On MSRP ($340 vs $449), the Core 5 120 is $109 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 61.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5800X — making the Core 5 120 the 3% better value option.