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

✅Costs $52 less on MSRP ($277 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅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 7 3700X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +48.0% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 78.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
18.8% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$277 MSRP
❌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 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $52 less on MSRP ($277 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅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: +48.0% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 78.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($329 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 7 3700X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
18.8% HIGHER MSRP
$329 MSRPvs$277 MSRP
❌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 7 3700X better than Core 5 120UL?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 48.0% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data and 112.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 48.0% more average FPS across 49 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better fit. You are getting 112.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is 18.8% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $277 MSRP, and it gives you a 48.0% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 78.9% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 38.1 PassMark/$), 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.

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 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	173 FPS	200 FPS
medium	141 FPS	163 FPS
high	117 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	156 FPS
medium	114 FPS	121 FPS
high	94 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	84 FPS
medium	68 FPS	71 FPS
high	54 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	201 FPS	561 FPS
medium	171 FPS	525 FPS
high	155 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	545 FPS
medium	155 FPS	471 FPS
high	143 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	350 FPS
medium	125 FPS	304 FPS
high	118 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	264 FPS	561 FPS
medium	264 FPS	561 FPS
high	264 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	561 FPS
medium	264 FPS	561 FPS
high	264 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	499 FPS
medium	264 FPS	394 FPS
high	264 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	264 FPS	561 FPS
medium	264 FPS	561 FPS
high	264 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	561 FPS
medium	264 FPS	561 FPS
high	264 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	561 FPS
medium	264 FPS	501 FPS
high	264 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Ryzen 7 3700X

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 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 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 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core 5 120UL has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 4.4% 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 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 72% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+5%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	3.6 GHz+177%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+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 (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	10,558	22,430+112%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 7 3700X
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

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120UL launched at $277 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($277 vs $329), the Core 5 120UL is $52 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120UL delivers 38.1 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 56.6% better value option.