AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D vs Intel Core 5 120 Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D and Intel Core 5 120 occupy different tiers of the desktop processor market, and the recorded data reflects that separation clearly. The AMD part is a 16-core, 32-thread processor from the Zen 5 Granite Ridge family, built on a 4 nm process and carrying 128 MB of L3 cache. The Intel part is a 6-core, 12-thread Raptor Lake Refresh chip on a 10 nm process with 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The benchmark data available for the Intel Core 5 120 shows an average benchmark score of 25,362, placing it at the 77th percentile of all CPUs in the database. The AMD processor has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, so its average score is listed as zero and its percentile sits at 50.

The Intel Core 5 120, with its launch MSRP of $211, is the only chip in this comparison with measured performance data. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at a delta of 0 percent, the Intel Core i5-13400F at a delta of 0.3 percent, the Intel Core i7-11700KF at a delta of -0.2 percent, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U at a delta of -0.3 percent. These deltas place the Core 5 120 within a tight performance band around its direct competitors, with no single rival more than 0.3 percent ahead or behind in average score. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D has no nearest rivals listed and no head-to-head benchmark data, meaning the database contains no direct measurement of its performance against the Intel part.

For users choosing between these two, the data tells a straightforward story. The Intel Core 5 120 is a measured, active desktop processor with a full set of Cinebench and PassMark results, a 77th percentile standing, and a $211 launch MSRP. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D is a higher-core-count part with a 170 W TDP, a 4.30 GHz base clock, a 5.70 GHz boost clock, and no recorded benchmark outcomes. The data does not support a performance verdict for the AMD chip, because the database lacks any scores for it. What the data does show is that the Intel part competes closely with a cluster of established mid-range processors, all within a fraction of a percent of each other in average score.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core 5 120 wins in every category where the database has actual measurements, simply because it is the only one of the two with recorded results. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 18,255, its R23 singlecore score is 2,577, and its PassMark multithread score is 18,597. Its PassMark single-thread score is 3,595, and its PassMark integer math score is 60,462. The floating point math result is 45,383, and the extended instructions score is 14,264. Data compression in PassMark reaches 219,535, while data encryption sits at 11,131. The find prime numbers test returns 77, random string sorting scores 21,499, and the physics test records 1,333. In older Cinebench versions, the multicore R15 result is 1,840 and the singlecore R15 result is 259, while R20 shows 7,667 multicore and 1,082 singlecore.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D has no benchmark wins recorded in the database. The winsA field is zero, and the winsB field is zero, reflecting the absence of any head-to-head benchmark entries. The Intel chip also holds the advantage in production status and market positioning, with an active status and a release date of 2025-07-30, while the AMD part is also active with a release date of 2025-10-06. The Intel part is unlocked in the sense that its multiplier is locked, so it does not support user overclocking. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier and supports overclocking, which is a feature difference rather than a benchmark win.

The use-case split from the data is therefore one-sided. The Intel Core 5 120 delivers measured multicore throughput of 18,255 in Cinebench R23 and a multithread PassMark score of 18,597, making it a quantifiable choice for applications that scale across six cores. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D offers 16 cores, 32 threads, a 5.70 GHz boost clock, and 128 MB of L3 cache, all of which point toward high-thread-count workloads, but the database contains no scores to confirm that expectation. The Intel part also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while the AMD part supports DDR5 only. The AMD chip includes ECC memory support, which the Intel part does not, and the AMD chip carries Radeon Graphics while the Intel part has UHD Graphics 730.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different manufacturing and design lineages. The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D is built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with a transistor count of 16,630 million and a die size listed as 2x 70.6 mm². It uses the Granite Ridge codename and belongs to the Ryzen Embedded generation based on Zen 5. The Intel Core 5 120 is built on a 10 nm process at Intel, with a die size of 163 mm² and no transistor count listed. Its codename is Raptor Lake-R, and it belongs to the Core 5 generation based on Raptor Lake Refresh.

Core and thread counts differ sharply. The AMD chip has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel chip has 6 cores and 12 threads. The base clock on the AMD part is 4.30 GHz, compared with 2.50 GHz on the Intel part. The boost clock on the AMD part is 5.70 GHz, compared with 4.50 GHz on the Intel part. The TDP figures also diverge, with the AMD chip rated at 170 W and the Intel chip at 65 W.

Cache hierarchies are structured differently as well. Both processors provide 80 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache differs: the AMD chip has 1 MB per core, while the Intel chip has 1.25 MB per core. The L3 cache is a major differentiator. The AMD chip has 128 MB of L3 cache. The Intel chip has 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part does not list a separate 3D V-Cache figure, and neither chip lists a total L3 value beyond the direct cache fields.

Memory support also separates the two. The AMD processor supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel bus with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 through a dual-channel bus, but the database lists no memory bandwidth figure for it. ECC memory is supported on the AMD chip but not on the Intel chip. PCIe connectivity differs as well: the AMD chip provides Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU, while the Intel chip provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

The socket and platform requirements are distinct. The AMD chip uses AMD Socket AM5, while the Intel chip uses Intel Socket 1700. The AMD part has an unlocked multiplier, while the Intel part has a locked multiplier. The integrated graphics also differ, with Radeon Graphics on the AMD side and UHD Graphics 730 on the Intel side. The part numbers are 100-000000719E for AMD and SA35V for Intel.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher core count?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D has 16 cores and 32 threads. The Intel Core 5 120 has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for the Intel Core 5 120?

A: The Intel Core 5 120 has an average benchmark score of 25,362 and sits at the 77th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Q: Does the database contain any benchmark scores for the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D?

A: No. The AMD processor has an empty benchmarks array, an average benchmark score of zero, and a percentile of 50, with no nearest rivals listed.

Q: How does the Intel Core 5 120 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core 5 120 is within 0.3 percent of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, the Intel Core i5-13400F, the Intel Core i7-11700KF, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U in average benchmark score. The largest delta in either direction is 0.3 percent.

Q: What memory types does each processor support?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus. The Intel Core 5 120 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D supports ECC memory. The Intel Core 5 120 does not support ECC memory.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark table in the database is empty, and the winsA and winsB counters are both zero. No direct comparison scores exist between the AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D and the Intel Core 5 120. The only available benchmark data belongs to the Intel chip, and those scores can be read against the Intel chip's nearest rivals rather than against the AMD part.

The Intel Core 5 120 records a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18,255. Its Cinebench R23 singlecore score is 2,577. In Cinebench R20, the multicore result is 7,667 and the singlecore result is 1,082. In Cinebench R15, the multicore result is 1,840 and the singlecore result is 259. These Cinebench results show a consistent multicore-to-singlecore ratio across the three versions, with the multicore advantage growing as the workload scales from one core to six.

PassMark results for the Intel chip show a multithread score of 18,597 and a single-thread score of 3,595. The integer math score is 60,462, and the floating point math score is 45,383. The extended instructions score is 14,264, while the find prime numbers score is 77. Data compression scores 219,535, and data encryption scores 11,131. Random string sorting scores 21,499, and the physics test scores 1,333. These results provide a broad view of the Intel chip's strengths across integer, floating point, encryption, compression, and sorting workloads.

The nearest rival comparisons for the Intel Core 5 120 show how tightly grouped this performance tier is. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D has an average score of 25,365, a delta of 0 percent from the Intel chip. The Intel Core i7-11700KF scores 25,423, which is 0.2 percent above the Intel chip. The Intel Core i5-13400F scores 25,292, which is 0.3 percent below the Intel chip. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840U scores 25,432, which is 0.3 percent above the Intel chip. The spread from the lowest rival to the highest rival is only 0.6 percent, indicating that the Intel Core 5 120 sits in a dense cluster of similarly performing processors.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded 9950X3D cannot be placed in this cluster because no measurements exist. Its 16 cores, 32 threads, 5.70 GHz boost clock, 128 MB of L3 cache, and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth suggest a processor aimed at a higher performance tier, but the database records no score to quantify that position. The absence of benchmark data means any statement about its performance relative to the Intel Core 5 120 would be speculation, and the database does not support speculation. The Intel Core 5 120 remains the only chip in this page with measurable results, and those results place it at the 77th percentile with an average score of 25,362.