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 $261 less on MSRP ($188 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 120W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 34,293).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM3+, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +433.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 272.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM3+ and older memory support.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while FX-6120 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
138.8% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$188 MSRP
❌26.3% higher power demand at 120W vs 95W.

FX-6120

2012

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $261 less on MSRP ($188 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 120W, a 25W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +433.3% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 272.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM3+ and older memory support.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core), while FX-6120 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 34,293).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM3+, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7800X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
138.8% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$188 MSRP
❌26.3% higher power demand at 120W vs 95W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7800X3D better than FX-6120?

Yes. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 433.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 790% 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 7800X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 433.3% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 96 MB vs 8 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better fit. You are getting 790% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1100% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is 138.8% more expensive on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $188 MSRP, and it gives you a 433.3% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 272.7% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 20.5 PassMark/$), 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 7800X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2012), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of AM3+, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 8 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/6. 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.

FX-6120 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	96 FPS	266 FPS
medium	96 FPS	247 FPS
high	96 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	258 FPS
medium	96 FPS	215 FPS
high	94 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	179 FPS
medium	57 FPS	149 FPS
high	45 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	100 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	96 FPS	857 FPS
medium	96 FPS	737 FPS
high	96 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	493 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	722 FPS
medium	96 FPS	611 FPS
high	96 FPS	500 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	398 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	396 FPS
medium	96 FPS	339 FPS
high	96 FPS	315 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	273 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	96 FPS	857 FPS
medium	96 FPS	857 FPS
high	96 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	857 FPS
medium	96 FPS	851 FPS
high	96 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	558 FPS
medium	96 FPS	479 FPS
high	96 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	362 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	96 FPS	857 FPS
medium	96 FPS	857 FPS
high	96 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	857 FPS
medium	96 FPS	760 FPS
high	96 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	618 FPS
medium	96 FPS	556 FPS
high	96 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	428 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FX-6120 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

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 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The FX-6120 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the FX-6120 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 17.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 3.6 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The FX-6120 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the FX-6120 scores 3,853 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 159.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-6120 vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	5 GHz+19%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	4.4 GHz+22%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+1100%
L2 Cache	6 MB+500%	1 MB (per core)
Process	32 nm	5 nm-84%
Architecture	Zambezi (2011−2012)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	3,853	34,293+790%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	15,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The FX-6120 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	AM3+	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 5.0+150%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (FX-6120) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the FX-6120 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The FX-6120 launched at $188 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. On MSRP ($188 vs $449), the FX-6120 is $261 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the FX-6120 delivers 20.5 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 115.4% better value option.