Core 5 120UL vs Ryzen 3 7330U

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

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 7330U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 10,645).
❌Launch MSRP is still $277 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 7330U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 3 7330U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120UL

2024

Ryzen 3 7330U

2023

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 7330U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 10,645).
❌Launch MSRP is still $277 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 7330U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 7330U better than Core 5 120UL?

Yes. Ryzen 3 7330U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 3 7330U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.5% 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 3 7330U is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 7330U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core 5 120UL makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 3 7330U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $277 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core 5 120UL is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds 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 2023), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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

Ryzen 3 7330U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 7330U
1080p
low	173 FPS	170 FPS
medium	141 FPS	144 FPS
high	117 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	146 FPS
medium	114 FPS	122 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	78 FPS
medium	68 FPS	70 FPS
high	54 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 7330U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 7330U
1080p
low	201 FPS	266 FPS
medium	171 FPS	233 FPS
high	155 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	177 FPS	233 FPS
medium	155 FPS	205 FPS
high	143 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	161 FPS
4K
low	138 FPS	181 FPS
medium	125 FPS	164 FPS
high	118 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	116 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 7330U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 7330U
1080p
low	264 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	266 FPS
high	264 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	266 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	266 FPS
high	264 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	266 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	266 FPS
high	264 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	249 FPS	191 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 7330U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 7330U
1080p
low	264 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	266 FPS
high	264 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	266 FPS
1440p
low	264 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	266 FPS
high	264 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	266 FPS
4K
low	264 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	266 FPS
high	264 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	266 FPS

Open Core 5 120UL Open Ryzen 3 7330U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120UL and Ryzen 3 7330U

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.

Ryzen 3 7330U

The Ryzen 3 7330U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 10,645 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 3 7330U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core 5 120UL has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 3 7330U — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 3 7330U uses Barcelo (Zen 3) (2022−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Ryzen 3 7330U's 10,645 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 3 7330U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 7330U.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 3 7330U
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+150%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+7%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2.3 GHz+77%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512K (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Barcelo (Zen 3) (2022−2023)
PassMark	10,558	10,645

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 3 7330U uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.