Core 5 120U vs Xeon Silver 4214Y
Core 5 120U
Xeon Silver 4214Y
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core 5 120U
Performance Per Dollar Xeon Silver 4214Y
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core 5 120U | Xeon Silver 4214Y |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | ✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core 5 120U | Xeon Silver 4214Y |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 120U and Xeon Silver 4214Y
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 Silver 4214Y
The Xeon Silver 4214Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 16,442 points. Launch price was $768.
Processing Power
The Core 5 120U packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4214Y offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Silver 4214Y has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core 5 120U versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4214Y — a 43.9% clock advantage for the Core 5 120U (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core 5 120U uses the Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4214Y uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120U scores 16,225 against the Xeon Silver 4214Y's 16,442 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon Silver 4214Y. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120U vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon Silver 4214Y.
| Feature | Core 5 120U | Xeon Silver 4214Y |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 10 / 12 | 12 / 24+20% |
| Boost Clock | 5 GHz+56% | 3.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.4 GHz | 2.2 GHz+57% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total) | 16.5 MB+38% |
| L2 Cache | 1.25 MB (per core) | 12 MB+860% |
| Process | 10 nm-29% | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) | Cascade Lake (2019−2020) |
| PassMark | 16,225 | 16,442+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Core 5 120U uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Silver 4214Y uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core 5 120U | Xeon Silver 4214Y |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1744 | LGA3647 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0+67% | PCIe 3.0 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Core 5 120U and Xeon Silver 4214Y
