Xeon E-2336 vs Core 5 120U

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 Xeon E-2336

#130

EPYC 9115

MSRP: $726|Avg: $726

103%

#131

EPYC 74F3

MSRP: $913|Avg: $824

103%

#139

Xeon E-2336

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#143

Xeon W-1350P

MSRP: $311|Avg: $250

98%

#145

Xeon 6511P

MSRP: $815|Avg: $815

98%

#153

EPYC 7303P

MSRP: $594|Avg: $594

95%

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

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E-2336 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E-2336	Core 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 (Rocket Lake-E (2021) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 5 120U ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E-2336	Core 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.

Xeon E-2336 Benchmark Check

Core 5 120U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E-2336 and Core 5 120U

Xeon E-2336

The Xeon E-2336 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 16,136 points. Launch price was $800.

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 Xeon E-2336 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 4.8 GHz on the Xeon E-2336 versus 5 GHz on the Core 5 120U — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Core 5 120U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Xeon E-2336 uses the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core 5 120U uses Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2336 scores 16,136 against the Core 5 120U's 16,225 — a 0.6% lead for the Core 5 120U. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon E-2336	Core 5 120U
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 12+67%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+107%	1.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+150%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Rocket Lake-E (2021)	Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024)
PassMark	16,136	16,225

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2336 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core 5 120U uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.