AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 vs Intel Core 5 120U Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a sweeping victory for the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 across all fifteen shared benchmarks. The Intel Core 5 120U does not claim a single win in any measured test. The margin of victory varies widely by workload, from a modest single-core edge to a dominant multi-core and extended instruction lead.

The largest disparity appears in the PassMark extended instructions test. The AMD part scores 32,719 against 9,299 for the Intel, a delta of 251.9%. This indicates a substantial advantage in workloads that leverage advanced SIMD or specialized instruction sets. The Cinebench R23 multi-core test shows the next biggest gap, with the AMD chip at 18,759 versus 6,659, a 181.7% difference. This confirms that heavily threaded rendering tasks favor the AMD processor by a very wide margin.

The Cinebench R15 multi-core test follows a similar pattern, with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scoring 2,872 compared to 1,150.5 for the Intel Core 5 120U, a 149.6% lead. The PassMark find prime numbers test shows a 173.6% advantage for the AMD chip, with scores of 145 and 53 respectively. This test is often sensitive to memory latency and integer throughput.

The AMD processor also leads decisively in data compression, scoring 400,887 versus 166,432, a 140.9% difference. The PassMark random string sorting test shows a 126.6% advantage for the AMD part, with 43,196 against 19,060. The PassMark multithread score gives the AMD chip a 122.6% lead, 33,486 versus 15,042. Integer math shows a 109.6% advantage at 109,588 against 52,280. Floating point math is 101.9% higher for the AMD chip, 72,722 versus 36,026.

The physics test shows a 96.7% advantage for the AMD processor, 1,843 versus 937. Data encryption shows a 92.2% lead, 20,092 versus 10,453. Single-thread performance is closer but still favors the AMD part. The PassMark single thread score is 4,185 versus 3,479, a 20.3% difference. Cinebench R15 single-core shows a 21.6% lead at 298 versus 245. Cinebench R23 single-core shows the narrowest gap at 11.6%, with 1,960 against 1,756.5.

The average benchmark score in the database reflects this overall dominance. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 averages 49,796 points across its recorded tests, while the Intel Core 5 120U averages 17,898. The AMD part sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the Intel part sits at the 72nd percentile. The AMD chip's nearest rivals include the Intel Core 9 273PE at 49,845 average score, a -0.1% delta, and the Intel Core i5-14600KF at 49,394, a 0.8% delta. The Intel Core 5 120U's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT at 17,891, a 0% delta, and the AMD Ryzen 5 1600 at 17,994, a -0.5% delta. This places the two processors in entirely different performance tiers.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multi-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 wins decisively. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 18,759 versus 6,659 for the Intel Core 5 120U, a 181.7% advantage. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it leads 2,872 to 1,150.5, a 149.6% difference.

Q: How close is single-core performance?

A: The AMD chip still wins, but by a smaller margin. Cinebench R23 single-core shows 1,960 versus 1,756.5, an 11.6% lead. PassMark single thread shows 4,185 versus 3,479, a 20.3% advantage.

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 120U has 10 cores and 12 threads. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 has 8 cores and 16 threads. Despite fewer cores, the AMD part has more threads and delivers far higher multi-threaded scores.

Q: What is the largest benchmark gap between the two?

A: The PassMark extended instructions test shows the largest gap. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 scores 32,719 against 9,299 for the Intel Core 5 120U, a 251.9% difference.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 has an average benchmark score of 49,796, compared to 17,898 for the Intel Core 5 120U. The AMD part ranks at the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the Intel part ranks at the 72nd percentile.

Q: Does the Intel Core 5 120U win any shared benchmark?

A: No. In the fifteen head-to-head tests recorded in the database, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 wins all fifteen. The Intel Core 5 120U has zero wins.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Strix Halo codename. It is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Core 5 120U uses the Raptor Lake architecture under the Raptor Lake-U codename, built on a 10 nm process at Intel. The process node difference contributes to the large efficiency and performance gaps observed in the benchmarks.

Cache layouts differ notably. The AMD chip has 80 KB of L1 per core, matching the Intel chip's 80 KB per core. L2 cache differs: the AMD part has 1 MB per core, while the Intel part has 1.25 MB per core. The L3 cache difference is substantial. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 has 32 MB of shared L3, while the Intel Core 5 120U has 12 MB of shared L3. This larger L3 pool likely contributes to the AMD processor's strong showing in data compression and random string sorting tests.

Memory support also diverges. The AMD chip uses LPDDR5X memory with a quad-channel bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The Intel chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, and the database does not list a memory bandwidth figure for it. The AMD part supports ECC memory, while the Intel part does not. The memory subsystem difference helps explain the AMD processor's large leads in memory-sensitive workloads.

PCIe lanes also differ. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 provides Gen 4 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Intel Core 5 120U provides Gen 4 with 8 lanes from the CPU. The AMD part has double the CPU-attached lane count.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The AMD chip pairs with a Radeon 8060S, while the Intel chip pairs with Iris Xe Graphics 80EU. The database records no graphics benchmarks for either, so the comparison rests on the CPU and memory data.

The die size for the AMD part is recorded as 2x 70.6 mm². The Intel part has no die size listed. The AMD part uses a 55 W TDP, while the Intel part uses a 15 W TDP. The AMD socket is AMD Socket FP11, and the Intel socket is Intel BGA 1744. The AMD part was released on 2026-01-05, while the Intel part was released on 2024-01-07. Both are listed as active in production.

Specification Differences

The base clock differs substantially. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 runs at 3.60 GHz base, while the Intel Core 5 120U runs at 1.40 GHz base. Both boost to 5.00 GHz. The AMD part draws a 55 W TDP, while the Intel part draws 15 W TDP. The core counts differ: 8 cores for AMD versus 10 cores for Intel. Thread counts differ: 16 threads for AMD versus 12 threads for Intel.

The process node differs: 4 nm for AMD at TSMC versus 10 nm for Intel at its own foundry. L2 cache differs: 1 MB per core for AMD versus 1.25 MB per core for Intel. L3 cache differs: 32 MB shared for AMD versus 12 MB shared for Intel. Memory support differs: LPDDR5X for AMD versus DDR4 and DDR5 for Intel. Memory bus width differs: quad-channel for AMD versus dual-channel for Intel. ECC support differs: true for AMD, false for Intel. PCIe lanes differ: 16 lanes for AMD versus 8 lanes for Intel. The integrated graphics differ: Radeon 8060S for AMD versus Iris Xe Graphics 80EU for Intel. The socket differs: AMD Socket FP11 versus Intel BGA 1744. The part numbers differ: 100-000001980 for AMD versus SRM7P for Intel. Neither processor has a recorded launch MSRP. Neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 outperforms the Intel Core 5 120U in every recorded head-to-head test. The AMD processor holds the 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database, while the Intel processor holds the 72nd percentile. The average benchmark score of 49,796 for the AMD part versus 17,898 for the Intel part places them in separate performance classes.

The Intel Core 5 120U does have a lower TDP at 15 W compared to 55 W for the AMD part. It also has more physical cores at 10 versus 8, and a higher L2 cache per core at 1.25 MB versus 1 MB. These specification advantages do not translate into benchmark wins. The Intel processor's nearest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT at an average score of 17,891, are far below the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388's nearest rivals, which include the Intel Core 9 273PE at 49,845 and the Intel Core i5-14600KF at 49,394.

The Intel part wins no benchmark. The AMD part wins all fifteen shared tests. For workloads that rely on multi-core throughput, extended instructions, memory bandwidth, or integer and floating point math, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is the stronger part according to the recorded data. The Intel Core 5 120U remains a viable low-power mobile option, but its performance ceiling in these tests is well below the AMD chip.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 wins in every category covered by the shared benchmarks. Its largest edge appears in extended instructions, where it leads by 251.9%. This suggests a clear advantage for code that uses modern SIMD or specialized instruction paths. It also wins heavily in multi-core rendering, with the Cinebench R23 multi-core lead of 181.7% and the Cinebench R15 multi-core lead of 149.6%. Content creation, 3D rendering, and video encoding workloads that scale across threads would favor the AMD part.

The AMD processor also dominates memory-intensive and data-heavy tasks. Data compression shows a 140.9% lead, random string sorting shows a 126.6% lead, and data encryption shows a 92.2% lead. The 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 32 MB L3 cache likely drive these results. Integer math and floating point math both favor the AMD chip by over 100%. Prime number finding favors the AMD chip by 173.6%. The multithread score favors the AMD chip by 122.6%, and the physics score favors it by 96.7%.

The Intel Core 5 120U has no recorded benchmark wins in the head-to-head data. Its closest relative performance appears in single-core tests, where the AMD lead narrows to 11.6% in Cinebench R23 single-core and 20.3% in PassMark single thread. The Intel part's lower TDP of 15 W may be relevant for battery-driven mobile designs, but the database records no efficiency or power consumption benchmarks to quantify that. The Intel part's 10 cores and 1.25 MB L2 per core do not produce a win in any measured test.

For users choosing strictly from the recorded data, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is the correct pick for any performance-oriented workload. The Intel Core 5 120U would be selected only when its lower TDP and dual-channel memory support align with platform constraints, since its performance scores do not exceed the AMD part in any shared test.