Intel Arc G3 vs Intel Core 5 120HL Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a clear split in intended usage between the Intel Arc G3 and the Intel Core 5 120HL. The Arc G3 is a mobile part, built for the Intel BGA 2540 socket with a 25 W TDP. The Core 5 120HL is a desktop processor on Intel Socket 1700 with a 45 W TDP. These are not competing in the same chassis; they target different system classes entirely.

The Arc G3 wins on power efficiency and platform density. Its 25 W TDP is 20 W lower than the Core 5 120HL, and it carries the newer Panther Lake architecture on a 3 nm process node. This combination points toward thin, thermally constrained mobile designs. The memory support is LPDDR5X, which is standard for low-power, soldered mobile memory. The integrated graphics are Arc B370, a newer GPU generation than the Iris Xe Graphics 80EU found on the Core 5 120HL. For tasks that rely on the iGPU, the Arc G3 likely holds an advantage, though the benchmark data does not include direct graphics scores.

The Core 5 120HL wins on raw CPU throughput in threaded workloads. It has 12 cores and 16 threads, compared to the Arc G3's 14 cores and 14 threads. While the Arc G3 has more physical cores, the Core 5 120HL has more threads due to hyper-threading, which allows better utilization of each core in heavily threaded applications. Its boost clock of 4.70 GHz is also 100 MHz higher than the Arc G3's 4.60 GHz. The Core 5 120HL also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving system builders flexibility in memory choice, whereas the Arc G3 is locked to LPDDR5X.

The Core 5 120HL has a higher base clock of 2.60 GHz versus 1.90 GHz on the Arc G3. This suggests better single-thread responsiveness at lower loads, before boost kicks in. The desktop form factor with a 45 W TDP also implies sustained performance potential, as cooling solutions can be larger. The Arc G3, with its 25 W TDP, will likely throttle earlier under sustained all-core loads, but the data does not include thermal or power-limit test results.

In terms of connectivity, the Core 5 120HL uses PCIe Gen 4 with 8 lanes, while the Arc G3 uses PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes. The newer standard on the Arc G3 offers higher per-lane bandwidth, but the Core 5 120HL has more lanes, which could matter for multi-device configurations. The memory bandwidth figure of 136.5 GB/s for the Arc G3 is listed; no such number exists for the Core 5 120HL in the database, so a direct comparison there is not possible.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The Arc G3 is codenamed Panther Lake, built on a 3 nm process by Intel. The Core 5 120HL is codenamed Raptor Lake-PS, built on a 10 nm process. This is a two-generation gap in process technology, with the Arc G3 using a significantly denser and more power-efficient node.

Core configurations differ substantially. The Arc G3 has 14 cores and 14 threads, meaning it uses only single-threaded cores without hyper-threading. The Core 5 120HL has 12 cores and 16 threads, indicating a mix of performance and efficiency cores with hyper-threading on the performance cores. The thread count advantage of the Core 5 120HL (16 versus 14) is notable for parallel workloads, even though it has two fewer physical cores.

Cache hierarchy also diverges. The Arc G3 features 192 KB of L1 cache per core and 2.5 MB of L2 cache per core. The Core 5 120HL has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 2 MB of L2 cache per core. The Arc G3's larger per-core caches likely reduce memory latency in single-threaded tasks. Both share 18 MB of L3 cache, so the shared cache pool is identical in size. The larger L1 and L2 on the Arc G3 could provide a noticeable advantage in cache-sensitive workloads, though benchmark data is not available to confirm.

Memory support differs by platform. The Arc G3 supports LPDDR5X only, with a dual-channel bus and a measured memory bandwidth of 136.5 GB/s. The Core 5 120HL supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also with a dual-channel bus, but no bandwidth figure is recorded. The Arc G3's memory bandwidth is high for a mobile part, suggesting the integrated memory controller is tuned for LPDDR5X efficiency. The Core 5 120HL's flexibility with legacy DDR4 may appeal to desktop users with existing memory, but the lack of a bandwidth figure prevents quantitative comparison.

The integrated graphics differ in generation and presumably in capability. The Arc G3 uses Arc B370, which is part of Intel's newer Arc discrete-class integrated graphics lineup. The Core 5 120HL uses Iris Xe Graphics 80EU, which is from the prior generation. The Arc G3 also has a different production status: both are marked Active, but the Arc G3 has a release date of 2026-05-27, while the Core 5 120HL was released on 2024-04-07. The Core 5 120HL has a launch MSRP of $279; the Arc G3 has no recorded MSRP.

The Core 5 120HL has a higher TDP of 45 W versus 25 W for the Arc G3. This directly impacts cooling requirements and sustained performance. The Arc G3's lower TDP is consistent with its mobile market segment. The Core 5 120HL is marked as Desktop, which allows for more robust cooling and higher sustained power draw.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The headToHeadBenchmarks field is empty in the database, and winsA and winsB are both 0. This means there are no recorded direct comparison benchmark results between the Intel Arc G3 and the Intel Core 5 120HL. The percentileVsAllCpus values are identical at 50 for both, indicating they sit at the median of all CPUs in the database, but this does not imply they perform equally against each other.

Without direct benchmark scores, the analysis must rely on architectural and specification differences to infer relative performance. The Core 5 120HL has a 100 MHz higher boost clock (4.70 GHz versus 4.60 GHz) and a 700 MHz higher base clock (2.60 GHz versus 1.90 GHz). In single-threaded workloads, the higher clocks on the Core 5 120HL likely push it ahead, assuming similar IPC. However, the Arc G3 is on a newer 3 nm process with a newer architecture (Panther Lake versus Raptor Lake), which could yield higher instructions per clock. The larger per-core L1 and L2 caches on the Arc G3 (192 KB versus 80 KB L1, 2.5 MB versus 2 MB L2) also favor it in cache-intensive single-threaded tasks.

In multi-threaded workloads, the Core 5 120HL's 16 threads versus 14 threads on the Arc G3 gives it a nominal advantage. But the Arc G3 has 14 physical cores versus 12 on the Core 5 120HL, and physical cores without hyper-threading can sometimes outperform logical threads in scaling efficiency. The 45 W TDP on the Core 5 120HL means it can sustain higher power draw, which typically translates to better sustained multi-core performance. The Arc G3's 25 W TDP will limit its all-core boost behavior.

The lack of benchmark data means neither part can be declared a definitive winner in any specific workload. The specification sheet suggests the Core 5 120HL is better suited for high-thread-count desktop workloads, while the Arc G3 is optimized for power-constrained mobile use. The Arc G3's newer process and larger caches could close the gap in IPC, but without recorded scores, this remains speculative.

The database records no wins for either part. The empty head-to-head list indicates that no benchmark suite has been run that directly compares these two processors. Any performance claim beyond what the specifications support would be outside the recorded data.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Arc G3 has 14 cores, while the Intel Core 5 120HL has 12 cores.

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Core 5 120HL has 16 threads, which is 2 more than the Intel Arc G3's 14 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the Intel Arc G3?

A: The Intel Arc G3 has a recorded memory bandwidth of 136.5 GB/s with LPDDR5X support. The Intel Core 5 120HL has no recorded memory bandwidth in the database.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core 5 120HL?

A: The Intel Core 5 120HL has a launch MSRP of $279. The Intel Arc G3 has no recorded launch MSRP.

Q: Which processor is built on a smaller process node?

A: The Intel Arc G3 is built on a 3 nm process, while the Intel Core 5 120HL is built on a 10 nm process.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two processors?

A: The Intel Arc G3 has a TDP of 25 W, and the Intel Core 5 120HL has a TDP of 45 W, a difference of 20 W.

Q: Which processor supports DDR4 memory?

A: The Intel Core 5 120HL supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The Intel Arc G3 supports only LPDDR5X.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the Intel Arc G3 and the Intel Core 5 120HL:

• Cores: 14 (Arc G3) versus 12 (Core 5 120HL)
• Threads: 14 (Arc G3) versus 16 (Core 5 120HL)
• Base Clock: 1.90 GHz (Arc G3) versus 2.60 GHz (Core 5 120HL)
• Boost Clock: 4.60 GHz (Arc G3) versus 4.70 GHz (Core 5 120HL)
• TDP: 25 W (Arc G3) versus 45 W (Core 5 120HL)
• Socket: Intel BGA 2540 (Arc G3) versus Intel Socket 1700 (Core 5 120HL)
• Codename: Panther Lake (Arc G3) versus Raptor Lake-PS (Core 5 120HL)
• Process Node: 3 nm (Arc G3) versus 10 nm (Core 5 120HL)
• L1 Cache: 192 KB per core (Arc G3) versus 80 KB per core (Core 5 120HL)
• L2 Cache: 2.5 MB per core (Arc G3) versus 2 MB per core (Core 5 120HL)
• Memory Support: LPDDR5X (Arc G3) versus DDR4, DDR5 (Core 5 120HL)
• Memory Bandwidth: 136.5 GB/s (Arc G3) versus not recorded (Core 5 120HL)
• PCIe: Gen 5, 4 Lanes (Arc G3) versus Gen 4, 8 Lanes (Core 5 120HL)
• Integrated Graphics: Arc B370 (Arc G3) versus Iris Xe Graphics 80EU (Core 5 120HL)
• Market Segment: Mobile (Arc G3) versus Desktop (Core 5 120HL)
• Release Date: 2026-05-27 (Arc G3) versus 2024-04-07 (Core 5 120HL)
• Launch MSRP: Not recorded (Arc G3) versus $279 (Core 5 120HL)
• Part Number: SA4QZ (Arc G3) versus SRPFR (Core 5 120HL)

Both processors share the same manufacturer (Intel), 18 MB of L3 cache, dual-channel memory bus, non-ECC memory support, active production status, and a locked multiplier. Both have a percentileVsAllCpus of 50. The Arc G3's L1 and L2 caches are larger per core, while the Core 5 120HL has a higher base and boost clock, a higher TDP, and broader memory compatibility.