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 120U

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.6% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,225 vs 16,305).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 7 1800X

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120U across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Core 5 120U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120U moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core 5 120U

2024

Ryzen 7 1800X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.6% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,225 vs 16,305).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120U across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $499 MSRP, while Core 5 120U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core 5 120U moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120U better than Ryzen 7 1800X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core 5 120U is ahead with a 13.6% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 1800X pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 1800X also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 1800X is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core 5 120U is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 1800X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core 5 120U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.6% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 1800X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.5% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 1800X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (32.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 120U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 120U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 1800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120U	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	271 FPS	213 FPS
medium	243 FPS	178 FPS
high	205 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	178 FPS
medium	185 FPS	146 FPS
high	151 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	70 FPS
medium	130 FPS	61 FPS
high	100 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core 5 120U Open Ryzen 7 1800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120U	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	231 FPS	284 FPS
medium	193 FPS	251 FPS
high	175 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	206 FPS	251 FPS
medium	179 FPS	227 FPS
high	162 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	164 FPS
4K
low	155 FPS	182 FPS
medium	140 FPS	169 FPS
high	134 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core 5 120U Open Ryzen 7 1800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120U	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	408 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	328 FPS
4K
low	406 FPS	376 FPS
medium	406 FPS	310 FPS
high	406 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	341 FPS	222 FPS

Open Core 5 120U Open Ryzen 7 1800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120U	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	408 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	353 FPS

Open Core 5 120U Open Ryzen 7 1800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120U and Ryzen 7 1800X

Core 5 120U

The Core 5 120U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 16,225 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 1800X

The Ryzen 7 1800X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 16384 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 16,305 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120U packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 1800X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core 5 120U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core 5 120U versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 1800X — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Core 5 120U (base: 1.4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core 5 120U uses the Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 1800X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120U scores 16,225 against the Ryzen 7 1800X's 16,305 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 1800X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120U vs 16384 kB on the Ryzen 7 1800X.

Feature	Core 5 120U	Ryzen 7 1800X
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+25%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+157%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16384 kB+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	4096 kB+220%
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	16,225	16,305
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,314
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,130
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	5,700

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120U uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 1800X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120U	Ryzen 7 1800X
Socket	FCBGA1744	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 120U) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 1800X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 1800X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 1800X rivals Core i7-8700.