Core i3-4370 vs FX-6120

CPU

GPU

Core i3-4370

2 Cores4 Thrd54 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2014

Popular choices:

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FX-6120

6 Cores6 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2012

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-4370

2 / 4

3,854

0.0%

3,853

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

About PassMark

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 i3-4370

2014

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $39 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Delivers 26.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 25.9 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Draws 54W instead of 95W, a 41W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than FX-6120 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).

FX-6120

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 3,854).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 25.9 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌75.9% higher power demand at 95W vs 54W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-4370 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-4370.

Core i3-4370

2014

FX-6120

2012

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $39 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Delivers 26.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 25.9 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Draws 54W instead of 95W, a 41W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than FX-6120 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 3,854).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 25.9 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌75.9% higher power demand at 95W vs 54W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i3-4370 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i3-4370.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-4370 better than FX-6120?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, FX-6120 is ahead with a 6.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4370 pulls ahead with 0% better PassMark. FX-6120 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-4370 is the better fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Core i3-4370 is the smarter buy today. Core i3-4370 is $39 cheaper on MSRP at $149 MSRP versus $188 MSRP, and it gives you 0% better PassMark. The trade-off is that FX-6120 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 26.2% better value on MSRP (25.9 vs 20.5 PassMark/$), 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 i3-4370 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/6. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i3-4370 Benchmark Check

FX-6120 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
1080p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	91 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	65 FPS
medium	57 FPS	57 FPS
high	44 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i3-4370 Open FX-6120

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
1080p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	88 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	96 FPS
4K
low	78 FPS	96 FPS
medium	70 FPS	96 FPS
high	53 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	96 FPS

Open Core i3-4370 Open FX-6120

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
1080p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS

Open Core i3-4370 Open FX-6120

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
1080p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	96 FPS
medium	96 FPS	96 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	96 FPS

Open Core i3-4370 Open FX-6120

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-4370 and FX-6120

Core i3-4370

The Core i3-4370 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 21 July 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,854 points. Launch price was $242.

FX-6120

The FX-6120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,853 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-4370 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the FX-6120 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the FX-6120 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i3-4370 versus 4.2 GHz on the FX-6120 — a 10% clock advantage for the FX-6120 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i3-4370 uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the FX-6120 uses Zambezi (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4370 scores 3,854 against the FX-6120's 3,853 — a 0% lead for the Core i3-4370. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-4370 vs 8 MB (total) on the FX-6120.

Feature	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	6 / 6+200%
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.2 GHz+11%
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+6%	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	6 MB+2300%
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Zambezi (2011−2012)
PassMark	3,854	3,853
Cinebench R23 Multi	2,454	—
Geekbench 6 Single	904	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,071	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4370 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the FX-6120 uses AM3+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
Socket	LGA1150	AM3+
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i3-4370) / not specified (FX-6120). The Core i3-4370 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4600), while the FX-6120 requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Core i3-4370	FX-6120
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	Intel HD Graphics 4600	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	true	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-4370 launched at $149 MSRP, while the FX-6120 debuted at $188. On MSRP ($149 vs $188), the Core i3-4370 is $39 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-4370 delivers 25.9 pts/$ vs 20.5 pts/$ for the FX-6120 — making the Core i3-4370 the 23.2% better value option.