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

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅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 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 17,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +69.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $78 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅Delivers 133.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +69.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $78 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅Delivers 133.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $277 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 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 17,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Trade-offs

❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

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

Yes. Ryzen 5 3600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 69.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 67.5% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 3600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 69.3% 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, Ryzen 5 3600 is the better fit. You are getting 67.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 3600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 3600 is $78 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $277 MSRP, and it gives you a 69.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 133.2% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 38.1 PassMark/$), 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 120UL 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 2019) 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 120UL Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	173 FPS	200 FPS
medium	141 FPS	161 FPS
high	117 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	154 FPS
medium	114 FPS	119 FPS
high	94 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	70 FPS
medium	68 FPS	58 FPS
high	54 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	201 FPS	442 FPS
medium	171 FPS	404 FPS
high	155 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	420 FPS
medium	155 FPS	359 FPS
high	143 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	297 FPS
medium	125 FPS	259 FPS
high	118 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	201 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	264 FPS	442 FPS
medium	264 FPS	442 FPS
high	264 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	442 FPS
medium	264 FPS	442 FPS
high	264 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	442 FPS
medium	264 FPS	361 FPS
high	264 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	264 FPS	442 FPS
medium	264 FPS	442 FPS
high	264 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	442 FPS
medium	264 FPS	442 FPS
high	264 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	442 FPS
medium	264 FPS	442 FPS
high	264 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	357 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 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

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core 5 120UL has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 50.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+10%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	3.6 GHz+177%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	10,558	17,685+68%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

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

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120UL launched at $277 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($277 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $78 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120UL delivers 38.1 pts/$ vs 88.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 79.9% better value option.