AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 435 vs Intel Core 5 120 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The PassMark suite reveals a clear split between these two six-core, twelve-thread processors. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 435 takes the overall win count, finishing ahead in 8 of the 11 recorded tests, with the Intel Core 5 120 winning the remaining 3. The largest margin belongs to AMD in the extended instructions test, where it scores 16724 against Intel's 14264, a decisive 17.2% advantage. Random string sorting also favors AMD heavily, with a score of 24936 versus 21499, a 16% lead. Data compression shows a 6% edge for AMD at 232803 versus 219535.

The Intel part counters with substantial wins in two compute-heavy workloads. The prime number finding test goes to Intel at 77 against AMD's 57, a 26% difference. Physics simulation shows a similar gap, with Intel scoring 1333 versus 995, a 25.4% lead. Floating point math also favors Intel, 45383 to 41114, a 9.4% margin. These results indicate that Intel's architecture retains an advantage in certain mathematical workloads, while AMD dominates in instruction throughput and data manipulation tasks.

The remaining tests are closer. Single-thread performance goes to AMD at 3757 versus 3595, a 4.5% edge, and that same margin appears in the duplicate singlethread entry. Multithread performance also favors AMD at 19091 versus 18597, a 2.7% lead. Integer math is nearly identical, with AMD at 60879 and Intel at 60462, a 0.7% difference. Data encryption is also tight, AMD at 11267 against Intel's 11131, a 1.2% margin. The overall average benchmark score shows AMD at 37762, which places it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, while Intel's average of 25362 places it in the 77th percentile.

The nearest rival data positions each chip within its own competitive tier. The AMD part sits within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, and within 0.2% of the Intel Core 5 211E and the Intel Core i5-13600K. The Intel Core 5 120, by contrast, matches the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D exactly at 0% delta, sits 0.2% below the Intel Core i7-11700KF, and 0.3% above the Intel Core i5-13400F. These figures confirm that the AMD part competes in a higher absolute performance class, despite both processors sharing the same core and thread counts.

Architecture Differences

The two processors use fundamentally different designs. AMD's Ryzen AI 5 PRO 435 is built on the Zen 5 architecture under the Gorgon Point codename, part of the Ryzen AI PRO 400 generation that mixes Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. It is fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process node. Intel's Core 5 120 uses the Raptor Lake architecture under the Raptor Lake-R codename, part of the Raptor Lake Refresh generation, and is manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. The foundry difference is notable, with TSMC producing the AMD chip and Intel producing its own.

Cache hierarchies diverge significantly. Both share 80 KB of L1 cache per core, but AMD uses 1 MB of L2 per core, while Intel uses 1.25 MB per core. The L3 cache shows the largest gap: AMD has just 4 MB total, while Intel offers 18 MB shared. This substantial difference in last-level cache likely explains Intel's strong showing in physics and prime number workloads, which often benefit from larger cache pools. The die size also differs, with Intel measuring 163 mm², while no die size is recorded for AMD.

Memory support and platform integration differ as well. AMD supports DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory, while Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5. Both use dual-channel memory buses. AMD records a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, while no bandwidth figure is listed for Intel. ECC memory is supported on the AMD part but not on Intel. PCIe connectivity also diverges: AMD provides Gen 4 with 14 CPU lanes, while Intel provides Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. The integrated graphics differ, with AMD using the Radeon 840M and Intel using UHD Graphics 730.

The platform sockets reflect their intended markets. AMD uses the FP8 socket, which is a mobile platform, while Intel uses Socket 1700, a desktop platform. This aligns with their market segments: AMD is listed as Mobile, Intel as Desktop. The TDP figures reinforce this, with AMD at 28 watts and Intel at 65 watts. The release dates also differ, with AMD released in January 2026 and Intel in July 2025.

Where Each One Wins

AMD's Ryzen AI 5 PRO 435 dominates in workloads that stress instruction-level efficiency and data throughput. The 17.2% lead in extended instructions, the 16% lead in random string sorting, and the 6% lead in data compression all point to a processor that handles complex instruction streams and memory manipulation tasks with greater efficiency. The 4.5% single-thread advantage and the 2.7% multithread lead reinforce this profile. For encryption, database compression, and general productivity tasks that rely on these patterns, the data shows AMD delivering consistently higher scores.

Intel's Core 5 120 wins in workloads that appear to benefit from its larger L3 cache and higher base clock. The 26% lead in prime number finding and the 25.4% lead in physics are both substantial margins, and the 9.4% advantage in floating point math is also meaningful. These results suggest that Intel's design handles iterative mathematical computation and simulation-style workloads more effectively. The higher base clock of 2.50 GHz against AMD's 2.00 GHz likely contributes to these wins, even though both processors boost to 4.50 GHz.

The split creates a clear use-case division. AMD is better suited to data-centric tasks, general application responsiveness, and single-threaded performance. Intel is better suited to computational math, physics simulation, and floating point heavy workloads. The average benchmark scores confirm AMD's overall superiority in the PassMark suite, but the Intel part is not without its own strengths in specific domains.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several key specifications. AMD uses the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm TSMC process, while Intel uses Raptor Lake on a 10 nm Intel process. AMD's base clock is 2.00 GHz, Intel's is 2.50 GHz, and both share a 4.50 GHz boost clock. AMD has a TDP of 28 watts, Intel has 65 watts. AMD uses the FP8 socket, Intel uses Socket 1700. AMD's L2 cache is 1 MB per core, Intel's is 1.25 MB per core. AMD's L3 cache is 4 MB, Intel's is 18 MB shared.

Memory differences include AMD's support for DDR5 and LPDDR5X versus Intel's DDR4 and DDR5. AMD supports ECC memory, Intel does not. AMD records 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, Intel has no recorded figure. AMD provides PCIe Gen 4 with 14 lanes, Intel provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes. AMD uses Radeon 840M integrated graphics, Intel uses UHD Graphics 730. AMD is a mobile part, Intel is a desktop part. AMD was released in January 2026, Intel in July 2025. Intel has a recorded die size of 163 mm², AMD has none. Intel has a launch MSRP of $211, AMD has no recorded launch price.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: Both have identical counts: 6 cores and 12 threads each.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: Both boost to 4.50 GHz, so they match on boost clocks. The Intel part has a higher base clock at 2.50 GHz, compared to AMD's 2.00 GHz.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Intel Core 5 120 has 18 MB of shared L3 cache, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 435 has 4 MB.

Q: Which processor won more benchmark tests?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 435 won 8 of the 11 recorded head-to-head tests, with the Intel Core 5 120 winning 3.

Q: What is the biggest single benchmark margin between the two?

A: The largest margin is in the find prime numbers test, where Intel leads by 26%. AMD's largest lead is 17.2% in the extended instructions test.

Q: How much power does each processor use?

A: The AMD part has a TDP of 28 watts, while the Intel part has a TDP of 65 watts.