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: +8.2% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB).
✅Costs $2,425 less on MSRP ($277 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Delivers 885.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 38.1 vs 3.9 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-1567, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Xeon D-1567

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120UL across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,447 vs 10,558).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (1.5 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 3.9 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($2,702 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Xeon D-1567

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.2% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB).
✅Costs $2,425 less on MSRP ($277 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Delivers 885.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 38.1 vs 3.9 PassMark/$ ($277 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-1567, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120UL across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,447 vs 10,558).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (1.5 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 3.9 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($2,702 MSRP vs $277 MSRP).
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120UL better than Xeon D-1567?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon D-1567 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core 5 120UL is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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 8.2% 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, Core 5 120UL is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB).

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

Core 5 120UL is the smarter buy today. Core 5 120UL is $2,425 cheaper on MSRP at $277 MSRP versus $2,702 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.2% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 885.8% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 3.9 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play 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 2016), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1667, 700% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 1.5 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 12 threads instead of 12/24. 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

Xeon D-1567 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon D-1567
1080p
low	173 FPS	158 FPS
medium	141 FPS	136 FPS
high	117 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	133 FPS
medium	114 FPS	112 FPS
high	94 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	62 FPS
medium	68 FPS	56 FPS
high	54 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon D-1567

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon D-1567
1080p
low	201 FPS	126 FPS
medium	171 FPS	114 FPS
high	155 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	110 FPS
medium	155 FPS	100 FPS
high	143 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	86 FPS
medium	125 FPS	81 FPS
high	118 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	55 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon D-1567

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon D-1567
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	261 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon D-1567

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon D-1567
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 Xeon D-1567

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Xeon D-1567

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.

Xeon D-1567

The Xeon D-1567 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1667. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 10,447 points. Launch price was $1,069.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon D-1567 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon D-1567 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 2.7 GHz on the Xeon D-1567 — a 52.1% 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 Xeon D-1567 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Xeon D-1567's 10,447 — a 1.1% lead for the Core 5 120UL. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 1.5 MB (per core) on the Xeon D-1567.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Xeon D-1567
Cores / Threads	10 / 12	12 / 24+20%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+70%	2.7 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2.1 GHz+62%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+700%	1.5 MB (per core)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	10,558+1%	10,447

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon D-1567 uses FCBGA1667 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Xeon D-1567
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1667
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 Xeon D-1567 debuted at $2702. On MSRP ($277 vs $2702), the Core 5 120UL is $2425 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120UL delivers 38.1 pts/$ vs 3.9 pts/$ for the Xeon D-1567 — making the Core 5 120UL the 163.2% better value option.