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

✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Costs $146 less on MSRP ($277 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅Delivers 50.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 38.1 vs 25.3 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 10,693).

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.3 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($423 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

2022

Why buy it

✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Costs $146 less on MSRP ($277 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅Delivers 50.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 38.1 vs 25.3 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 10,693).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.3 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($423 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120UL better than Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core 5 120UL is ahead with 15% higher max boost clock. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark. Core 5 120UL also has the bigger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core 5 120UL is the smarter buy today. Core 5 120UL is $146 cheaper on MSRP at $277 MSRP versus $423 MSRP, and it gives you 15% higher max boost clock. The trade-off is that Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.3% better PassMark. It is also 50.8% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 25.3 PassMark/$), 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 AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB). 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 120UL Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
1080p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	141 FPS	139 FPS
high	117 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	147 FPS
medium	114 FPS	118 FPS
high	94 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	66 FPS
medium	68 FPS	57 FPS
high	54 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
1080p
low	201 FPS	238 FPS
medium	171 FPS	203 FPS
high	155 FPS	180 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	198 FPS
medium	155 FPS	173 FPS
high	143 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	124 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	146 FPS
medium	125 FPS	133 FPS
high	118 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
1080p
low	264 FPS	267 FPS
medium	264 FPS	267 FPS
high	264 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	267 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	267 FPS
medium	264 FPS	267 FPS
high	264 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	267 FPS
medium	264 FPS	267 FPS
high	264 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	236 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
1080p
low	264 FPS	267 FPS
medium	264 FPS	267 FPS
high	264 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	267 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	267 FPS
medium	264 FPS	267 FPS
high	264 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	267 FPS
medium	264 FPS	267 FPS
high	264 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	267 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

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.

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

The Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,693 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE 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 Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE — a 14% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE uses Renoir (2020−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE's 10,693 — a 1.3% lead for the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+150%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	3.5 GHz+169%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Renoir (2020−2023)
PassMark	10,558	10,693+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
Socket	LGA1700	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0

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Value Analysis

The Core 5 120UL launched at $277 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE debuted at $423. On MSRP ($277 vs $423), the Core 5 120UL is $146 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120UL delivers 38.1 pts/$ vs 25.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE — making the Core 5 120UL the 40.5% better value option.