Core 5 120 vs Xeon W-11955M

Core 5 120

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2025

Xeon W-11955M

8 Cores16 Thrd35 WWMax: 5 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 5 120

6 / 12

21,629

0.0%

21,702

+0.3%

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core 5 120

#290

Core i9-10900KF

MSRP: $509|Avg: $336

104%

#291

Core i9-14900T

MSRP: $549|Avg: $577

104%

#291

Core i9-7900X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $188

33%

#292

Core i5-13500T

MSRP: $342|Avg: $342

104%

#293

Core i3-10300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $140.49

104%

#294

Core i9-7920X

MSRP: $1199|Avg: $236

31%

#294

Core i9-10900F

MSRP: $464|Avg: $300

104%

#295

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

MSRP: $449|Avg: $429

104%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

29%

#296

Core i7-9700F

MSRP: $323|Avg: $200

103%

#297

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1419

103%

#298

Core i9-7960X

MSRP: $1699|Avg: $185

26%

#298

Core i5-9500F

MSRP: $187|Avg: $154

102%

#299

Core i9-11900KB

MSRP: $539|Avg: $350

102%

#299

Core i9-7980XE

MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300

23%

#300

Core i7-10700F

MSRP: $310|Avg: $250

101%

#301

Core i7-10700T

MSRP: $355|Avg: $200

101%

#302

Core i7-6900K

MSRP: $1089|Avg: $1089

21%

#302

Celeron G5920

MSRP: $52|Avg: $40

101%

#303

Core i7-5960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $83

21%

#303

Core i3-10105T

MSRP: $122|Avg: $122

101%

#304

Core i7-6950X

MSRP: $1723|Avg: $180

16%

#304

Celeron G5900

MSRP: $50|Avg: $42

100%

#305

Core 5 120

MSRP: $340|Avg: $340

100%

#306

Core i7-12700T

MSRP: $339|Avg: $337

99%

#307

Core 3 100HL

MSRP: $306|Avg: $280

99%

#308

Core i9-11900F

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $358.87

97%

#309

Core i9-9900T

MSRP: $423|Avg: $215

97%

#310

Core i5-9500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $132

96%

#311

Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE

MSRP: $349|Avg: $349

95%

#312

Core i9-10940X

MSRP: $784|Avg: $460

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon W-11955M

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5967%

Core i9-9990XE

MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A

43%

Xeon W-11855M

MSRP: $450|Avg: $200

111%

Xeon W-11955M

MSRP: $623|Avg: $450

100%

Xeon W-11865MLE

MSRP: $467|Avg: $350

98%

Xeon W-11865MRE

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

94%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1127%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1001%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

773%

#16

EPYC 7302

MSRP: $978|Avg: $109

769%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($450) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W-11955M is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 5 120	Xeon W-11955M
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($340)	⚠️ Higher cost ($450)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) / 10 nm)	✨ Modern (Tiger Lake-H (2021) / 10 nm SuperFin)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 5 120 ($340), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($110 less, 24% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 5 120	Xeon W-11955M
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+32%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($340)	⚠️ Higher cost ($450)

Performance Check

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 W-11955M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120 and Xeon W-11955M

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 W-11955M

The Xeon W-11955M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,702 points. Launch price was $623.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-11955M offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon W-11955M has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core 5 120 versus 5 GHz on the Xeon W-11955M — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Xeon W-11955M (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon W-11955M uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core 5 120 scores 21,629 against the Xeon W-11955M's 21,702 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon W-11955M. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 120 vs 24 MB (total) on the Xeon W-11955M.

Feature	Core 5 120	Xeon W-11955M
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+19%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	21,629	21,702

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon W-11955M uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 120	Xeon W-11955M
Socket	LGA1700	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 5 120 launched at $340 MSRP, while the Xeon W-11955M debuted at $623. At current prices ($340 vs $450), the Core 5 120 is $110 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 5 120 delivers 63.6 pts/$ vs 48.2 pts/$ for the Xeon W-11955M — making the Core 5 120 the 27.5% better value option.