Core 5 120 vs Xeon E5-2696 V3

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

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2696 V3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2696 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $340 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2696 V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-2696 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,435 vs 21,629).
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core 5 120

2025

Xeon E5-2696 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+150% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2696 V3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2696 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $340 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2696 V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,435 vs 21,629).
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Core 5 120 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120 better than Xeon E5-2696 V3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2696 V3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core 5 120 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 120 is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% 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 smarter buy today. Core 5 120 is at an unclear MSRP at $340 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-2696 V3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 11.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (63.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so 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?

Core 5 120 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2014), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011-3, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 18/36. 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

Xeon E5-2696 V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Xeon E5-2696 V3
1080p
low	170 FPS	181 FPS
medium	147 FPS	158 FPS
high	118 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	152 FPS
medium	123 FPS	128 FPS
high	99 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	69 FPS
medium	72 FPS	62 FPS
high	57 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Xeon E5-2696 V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 120	Xeon E5-2696 V3
1080p
low	471 FPS	434 FPS
medium	401 FPS	390 FPS
high	338 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	272 FPS
1440p
low	409 FPS	372 FPS
medium	355 FPS	335 FPS
high	309 FPS	283 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	228 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	233 FPS
medium	243 FPS	210 FPS
high	223 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	154 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Xeon E5-2696 V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 120	Xeon E5-2696 V3
1080p
low	541 FPS	536 FPS
medium	541 FPS	536 FPS
high	541 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	536 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	536 FPS
medium	491 FPS	536 FPS
high	445 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	534 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	479 FPS
medium	347 FPS	390 FPS
high	303 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	295 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Xeon E5-2696 V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 120	Xeon E5-2696 V3
1080p
low	541 FPS	536 FPS
medium	541 FPS	536 FPS
high	541 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	536 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	536 FPS
medium	541 FPS	536 FPS
high	541 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	534 FPS	515 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	536 FPS
medium	499 FPS	528 FPS
high	440 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core 5 120 Open Xeon E5-2696 V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Xeon E5-2696 V3

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.

Xeon E5-2696 V3

The Xeon E5-2696 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 21,435 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2696 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2696 V3 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2696 V3 — a 16.9% clock advantage for the Core 5 120 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon E5-2696 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Xeon E5-2696 V3's 21,435 — a 0.9% lead for the Core 5 120. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2696 V3.

Feature	Core 5 120	Xeon E5-2696 V3
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	18 / 36+200%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+18%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+9%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	45 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-55%	22 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	21,629	21,435

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2696 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.