Core 5 120UL vs Ryzen 5 4500U

Core 5 120UL vs Ryzen 5 4500U Performance Spectrum

Core 5 120UL

10 / 12

10,558

0.0%

10,692

+1.3%

Ryzen Threadripper 7960X

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 120UL vs Ryzen 5 4500U 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 120UL vs Ryzen 5 4500U: 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 120UL

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,558 vs 10,692).
❌Launch MSRP is still $277 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Ryzen 5 4500U

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 120UL across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core 5 120UL moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 5 120UL better than Ryzen 5 4500U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core 5 120UL is ahead with a 36.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4500U pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark. Core 5 120UL also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4500U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads.

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

Core 5 120UL is the better buy right now. Core 5 120UL comes in at an unclear MSRP at $277 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 36.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Ryzen 5 4500U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 1.3% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Core 5 120UL makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB). That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core 5 120UL vs Ryzen 5 4500U Technical Specifications

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

Core 5 120UL

The Core 5 120UL is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture. It features 10 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 10,558 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 4500U

The Ryzen 5 4500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,692 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 120UL packs 10 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 5 4500U offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Core 5 120UL has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core 5 120UL versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4500U — a 14% clock advantage for the Core 5 120UL (base: 1.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core 5 120UL uses the Raptor Lake-PS (2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 120UL scores 10,558 against the Ryzen 5 4500U's 10,692 — a 1.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 4500U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120UL vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4500U.

Feature	Core 5 120UL	Ryzen 5 4500U
Cores / Threads	10 / 12+67%	6 / 6
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+15%	4 GHz
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	2.3 GHz+77%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)+150%	512 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm	7 nm-30%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-PS (2024)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	10,558	10,692+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 120UL uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.