Core 5 120UL vs Xeon E5-4620 v3

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 105W, a 90W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-4620 v3, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $277 MSRP, while Xeon E5-4620 v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-4620 v3

2015

Why buy it

✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,525 vs 10,558).
❌600% higher power demand at 105W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Xeon E5-4620 v3

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 105W, a 90W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-4620 v3, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $277 MSRP, while Xeon E5-4620 v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,525 vs 10,558).
❌600% higher power demand at 105W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120UL better than Xeon E5-4620 v3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-4620 v3 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 2.4% more average FPS across 48 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 0.3% 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 the smarter buy today. Core 5 120UL is at an unclear MSRP at $277 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 2.4% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2015), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011, and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 12 threads instead of 10/20. 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 E5-4620 v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon E5-4620 v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	159 FPS
medium	141 FPS	138 FPS
high	117 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	134 FPS
medium	114 FPS	113 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	44 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon E5-4620 v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon E5-4620 v3
1080p
low	201 FPS	192 FPS
medium	171 FPS	173 FPS
high	155 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	165 FPS
medium	155 FPS	152 FPS
high	143 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	109 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	108 FPS
medium	125 FPS	100 FPS
high	118 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	71 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon E5-4620 v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon E5-4620 v3
1080p
low	264 FPS	263 FPS
medium	264 FPS	263 FPS
high	264 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	263 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	263 FPS
medium	264 FPS	263 FPS
high	264 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	263 FPS
medium	264 FPS	263 FPS
high	264 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	263 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon E5-4620 v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Xeon E5-4620 v3
1080p
low	264 FPS	263 FPS
medium	264 FPS	263 FPS
high	264 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	263 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	263 FPS
medium	264 FPS	263 FPS
high	264 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	263 FPS
medium	264 FPS	263 FPS
high	264 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	263 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Xeon E5-4620 v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Xeon E5-4620 v3

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 E5-4620 v3

The Xeon E5-4620 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,525 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, matching the Xeon E5-4620 v3's 10 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 2.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-4620 v3 — a 55.6% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon E5-4620 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Xeon E5-4620 v3's 10,525 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 5 120UL. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-4620 v3.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Xeon E5-4620 v3
Cores / Threads	10 / 12	10 / 20
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+77%	2.6 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2 GHz+54%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+108%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-55%	22 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	10,558	10,525

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-4620 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.