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 120UL

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 70.0 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-12100TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i3-12100TE

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $128 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 70.0 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 730, while Core 5 120UL needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120UL across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,432 vs 10,558).
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Core i3-12100TE

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Costs $128 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 70.0 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 730, while Core 5 120UL needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 70.0 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-12100TE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120UL across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,432 vs 10,558).
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120UL better than Core i3-12100TE?

Yes. Core 5 120UL is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core 5 120UL is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.3% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120UL is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core 5 120UL is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i3-12100TE makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core 5 120UL is 85.9% more expensive on MSRP at $277 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i3-12100TE is also 83.7% better value on MSRP (70.0 vs 38.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core 5 120UL is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2022) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 120UL Benchmark Check

Core i3-12100TE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
1080p
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	141 FPS	150 FPS
high	117 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	146 FPS
medium	114 FPS	121 FPS
high	94 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	67 FPS
medium	68 FPS	59 FPS
high	54 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i3-12100TE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
1080p
low	201 FPS	128 FPS
medium	171 FPS	112 FPS
high	155 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	112 FPS
medium	155 FPS	99 FPS
high	143 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	87 FPS
medium	125 FPS	80 FPS
high	118 FPS	67 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	52 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i3-12100TE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
1080p
low	264 FPS	261 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	264 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	261 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	261 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	264 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	261 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	261 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	264 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	239 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i3-12100TE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
1080p
low	264 FPS	261 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	264 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	261 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	261 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	264 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	261 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	261 FPS
medium	264 FPS	261 FPS
high	264 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	261 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Core i3-12100TE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Core i3-12100TE

Core 5 120UL

The Core 5 120UL is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 10,558 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-12100TE

The Core i3-12100TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 10,432 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i3-12100TE offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core 5 120UL has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 4 GHz on the Core i3-12100TE — a 14% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i3-12100TE uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Core i3-12100TE's 10,432 — a 1.2% lead for the Core 5 120UL. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+150%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2.1 GHz+62%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	10 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	10,558+1%	10,432
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,100

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
Socket	LGA1700	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120UL) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i3-12100TE). The Core i3-12100TE includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 730), while the Core 5 120UL requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-12100TE targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-12100TE rivals Ryzen Embedded V2000.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Core i3-12100TE
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 730
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120UL launched at $277 MSRP, while the Core i3-12100TE debuted at $149. On MSRP ($277 vs $149), the Core i3-12100TE is $128 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120UL delivers 38.1 pts/$ vs 70.0 pts/$ for the Core i3-12100TE — making the Core i3-12100TE the 59% better value option.