Core 5 120U vs Xeon E5-2698B 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.

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 120U

#158

Core i9-13900H

MSRP: $617|Avg: N/A

110%

#161

Core Ultra 7 268V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $400

108%

#162

Core Ultra 7 256V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $350

107%

#167

Core Ultra 7 258V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $400

104%

#169

Core i7-1280P

MSRP: $482|Avg: $482

103%

#172

Core 5 120U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#173

Core Ultra 5 238V

MSRP: $454|Avg: $454

99%

#176

Core i9-13900HK

MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A

96%

#178

Core i7-1360P

MSRP: $480|Avg: $280

95%

#179

Core i7-1260P

MSRP: $432|Avg: $432

95%

#184

Core Ultra 7 266V

MSRP: $520|Avg: $520

91%

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

90%

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

83%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2698B V3

#130

EPYC 9115

MSRP: $726|Avg: $726

102%

#131

EPYC 74F3

MSRP: $913|Avg: $824

102%

#136

Xeon E5-2698B V3

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#143

Xeon W-1350P

MSRP: $311|Avg: $250

97%

#145

Xeon 6511P

MSRP: $815|Avg: $815

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core 5 120U (2024) utilizes 10 nm technology and DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4267, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core 5 120U	Xeon E5-2698B V3
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) / 10 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2698B V3 (2015) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR4-2133, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core 5 120U	Xeon E5-2698B V3
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 120U Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2698B V3 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120U and Xeon E5-2698B V3

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.

Xeon E5-2698B V3

The Xeon E5-2698B V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 40 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 16,287 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 120U packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2698B V3 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon E5-2698B V3 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core 5 120U versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E5-2698B V3 — a 38.1% clock advantage for the Core 5 120U (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core 5 120U uses the Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon E5-2698B V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120U scores 16,225 against the Xeon E5-2698B V3's 16,287 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5-2698B V3. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120U vs 40 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2698B V3.

Feature	Core 5 120U	Xeon E5-2698B V3
Cores / Threads	10 / 12	16 / 32+60%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+47%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	1.4 GHz	2 GHz+43%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	40 MB (total)+233%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+400%	256K (per core)
Process	10 nm-55%	22 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	16,225	16,287

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120U uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2698B V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.