Core 5 120 vs Ryzen 7 PRO 250

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 5 120

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($340 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 16.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 54.5 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 250 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 21,789).
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.

Ryzen 7 PRO 250

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 54.5 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).

Core 5 120

2025

Ryzen 7 PRO 250

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($340 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
✅Delivers 16.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 63.6 vs 54.5 PassMark/$ ($340 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 65W, a 57W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 250 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,629 vs 21,789).
❌712.5% higher power demand at 65W vs 8W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 54.5 vs 63.6 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $340 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 250 better than Core 5 120?

Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 250 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 25.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% 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 PRO 250 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 25.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 PRO 250 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 250 is still the faster CPU overall, but Core 5 120 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 PRO 250 is 17.6% more expensive on MSRP at $400 MSRP versus $340 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core 5 120 is also 16.8% better value on MSRP (63.6 vs 54.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 PRO 250 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. 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 5 120 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 PRO 250 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 PRO 250
1080p
low	170 FPS	259 FPS
medium	147 FPS	238 FPS
high	118 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	229 FPS
medium	123 FPS	191 FPS
high	99 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	159 FPS
medium	72 FPS	134 FPS
high	57 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 250

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 PRO 250
1080p
low	471 FPS	492 FPS
medium	401 FPS	408 FPS
high	338 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	319 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	430 FPS
medium	355 FPS	376 FPS
high	309 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	281 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	284 FPS
medium	243 FPS	259 FPS
high	223 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	214 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 250

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 PRO 250
1080p
low	541 FPS	545 FPS
medium	541 FPS	545 FPS
high	541 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	522 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	545 FPS
medium	491 FPS	545 FPS
high	445 FPS	523 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	449 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	523 FPS
medium	347 FPS	457 FPS
high	303 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	343 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 250

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 PRO 250
1080p
low	541 FPS	545 FPS
medium	541 FPS	545 FPS
high	541 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	545 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	545 FPS
medium	541 FPS	545 FPS
high	541 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	545 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	545 FPS
medium	499 FPS	502 FPS
high	440 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	385 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 250

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Ryzen 7 PRO 250

Core 5 120

The Core 5 120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,629 points. Launch price was $211.

Ryzen 7 PRO 250

The Ryzen 7 PRO 250 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,789 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 — a 12.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 250's 21,789 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 250. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 7 PRO 250.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 PRO 250
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5.1 GHz+13%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.3 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	8 MB+540%
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
PassMark	21,629	21,789

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 7 PRO 250
Socket	LGA1700	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0

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Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 debuted at $400. On MSRP ($340 vs $400), the Core 5 120 is $60 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 54.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 250 — making the Core 5 120 the 15.5% better value option.