Ryzen 5 7430U
VS
Core 5 120U

Ryzen 5 7430U vs Core 5 120U

AMD

Ryzen 5 7430U

6 Cores12 Thrd3 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2023
VS
Intel

Core 5 120U

10 Cores12 Thrd15 WWMax: 5 GHz2024

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.

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

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 7430U

#169
Core i7-1280P
MSRP: $482|Avg: $482
111%
#173
Core Ultra 5 238V
MSRP: $454|Avg: $454
107%
#176
Core i9-13900HK
MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A
104%
#178
Core i7-1360P
MSRP: $480|Avg: $280
103%
#179
Core i7-1260P
MSRP: $432|Avg: $432
103%
#183
Ryzen 5 7430U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#184
Core Ultra 7 266V
MSRP: $520|Avg: $520
99%
#185
Ryzen 7 5825C
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
97%
#187
Core Ultra 9 288V
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
90%
#188
Core i7-10870H
MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A
90%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

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 Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 5 120U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Ryzen 5 7430U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightRyzen 5 7430UCore 5 120U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) / 7 nm)
✨ Modern (Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightRyzen 5 7430UCore 5 120U
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 7430U and Core 5 120U

AMD

Ryzen 5 7430U

The Ryzen 5 7430U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 3 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 16,080 points. Launch price was $299.

Intel

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.

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 7430U packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core 5 120U offers 10 cores / 12 threads — the Core 5 120U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7430U versus 5 GHz on the Core 5 120U — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Core 5 120U (base: 2.3 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 7430U uses the Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Core 5 120U uses Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 7430U scores 16,080 against the Core 5 120U's 16,225 — a 0.9% lead for the Core 5 120U. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 7430U vs 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 120U.

FeatureRyzen 5 7430UCore 5 120U
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
10 / 12+67%
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
5 GHz+16%
Base Clock
2.3 GHz+64%
1.4 GHz
L3 Cache
16 MB+33%
12 MB (total)
L2 Cache
3 MB+140%
1.25 MB (per core)
Process
7 nm-30%
10 nm
Architecture
Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023)
Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024)
PassMark
16,080
16,225
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 7430U uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core 5 120U uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureRyzen 5 7430UCore 5 120U
Socket
FP6
FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0
PCIe 5.0+25%