Core 5 120 vs Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

Core 5 120 vs Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE Performance Spectrum

Core 5 120

6 / 12

21,629

+0.4%

21,544

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

About PassMark

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.

Core 5 120 vs Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core 5 120 vs Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core 5 120

2025

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $340 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,544 vs 21,629).

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120 better than Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is ahead with a 15.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core 5 120 is the better buy right now. Core 5 120 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $340 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.4% better PassMark. The compromise is that Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 15.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (63.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is still an elite gaming CPU and a very strong platform-matched choice because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap while remaining one of the strongest gaming chips you can buy.

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

Core 5 120 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2024) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core 5 120 vs Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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 5 PRO 8500GE

The Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,544 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

Both the Core 5 120 and Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE's 21,544 — a 0.4% lead for the Core 5 120. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE.

Feature	Core 5 120	Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.4 GHz+36%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)+13%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+25%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	4 nm-60%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	21,629	21,544

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 8500GE uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.