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.

FX-6120

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $111 less on MSRP ($188 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 26,609).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +317.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 334.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
59% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$188 MSRP

FX-6120

2012

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $111 less on MSRP ($188 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +317.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 334.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 26,609).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
59% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$188 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5700X better than FX-6120?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 317.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 590.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 317.2% 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 7 5700X is the better fit. You are getting 590.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 5700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5700X is 59.0% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $188 MSRP, and it gives you a 317.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 334.2% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 20.5 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 7 5700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2012), 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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.

FX-6120 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	96 FPS	156 FPS
medium	96 FPS	129 FPS
high	96 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	137 FPS
medium	96 FPS	111 FPS
high	94 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	77 FPS
medium	57 FPS	67 FPS
high	45 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	43 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	96 FPS	649 FPS
medium	96 FPS	549 FPS
high	96 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	552 FPS
medium	96 FPS	484 FPS
high	96 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	350 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	343 FPS
medium	96 FPS	303 FPS
high	96 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	245 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	96 FPS	665 FPS
medium	96 FPS	557 FPS
high	96 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	439 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	554 FPS
medium	96 FPS	458 FPS
high	96 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	358 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	402 FPS
medium	96 FPS	322 FPS
high	96 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	229 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	96 FPS	665 FPS
medium	96 FPS	665 FPS
high	96 FPS	665 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	665 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	665 FPS
medium	96 FPS	665 FPS
high	96 FPS	607 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	533 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	545 FPS
medium	96 FPS	488 FPS
high	96 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	385 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FX-6120 and Ryzen 7 5700X

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.

Ryzen 7 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The FX-6120 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5700X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the FX-6120 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The FX-6120 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5700X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm). In PassMark, the FX-6120 scores 3,853 against the Ryzen 7 5700X's 26,609 — a 149.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-6120 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.6 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+6%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	6 MB+1100%	512K (per core)
Process	32 nm	7 nm-78%
Architecture	Zambezi (2011−2012)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	3,853	26,609+591%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	14,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,116
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,715

🧠

Memory & Platform

The FX-6120 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 7 5700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
Socket	AM3+	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 4.0+100%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (FX-6120) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 5700X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The FX-6120 launched at $188 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 5700X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($188 vs $299), the FX-6120 is $111 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the FX-6120 delivers 20.5 pts/$ vs 89.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5700X — making the Ryzen 7 5700X the 125.1% better value option.