Intel Core 5 120 vs Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus Comparison

Intel Core 5 120 and Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus sit at opposite ends of Intel's desktop stack, and the benchmark data reflects a fundamental performance gulf. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus wins 16 of 17 head-to-head tests, with the Core 5 120 securing a single, narrow victory. The average benchmark score for the Core Ultra 7 is 93,785, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, while the Core 5 120 averages 25,362, sitting in the 77th percentile. This is not a close contest; it is a clear hierarchy defined by core count, architecture, and power envelope.

Where Each One Wins

The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus dominates every category of sustained multi-threaded work. Its 24 cores and 24 threads deliver decisive advantages in rendering, compression, encryption, and physics calculations. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 44,253 against the Core 5 120's 18,255, a 58.7% advantage. PassMark multi-thread results show 68,574 versus 18,597, a 72.9% gap. Data compression scores 804,322 versus 219,535, and integer math scores 175,986 versus 60,462. These are workloads that scale with core count, and the Ultra 7 has four times the cores.

The Core 5 120's lone win comes in Cinebench R23 single-core, where it scores 2,577 against the Ultra 7's 2,439, a 5.7% edge. This is a surprising result given the Ultra 7's higher boost clock of 5.50 GHz versus 4.50 GHz, but the recorded data shows the older Raptor Lake architecture holding a slight single-thread lead in that specific test. Elsewhere in single-thread performance, the Ultra 7 wins: PassMark single-thread shows 5,068 versus 3,595, a 29.1% advantage, and Cinebench R15 single-core shows 354 versus 259, a 26.8% lead. The Core 5 120's single-core win in R23 appears to be an outlier within an otherwise consistent pattern of Ultra 7 superiority.

For workloads that depend on raw single-thread responsiveness, such as legacy applications or lightly threaded games, the Core 5 120 offers a marginal edge in one benchmark but trails in the others. For any workload that can use multiple cores, the Ultra 7 is the clear choice. The data shows no scenario where the Core 5 120 wins on multi-threaded performance, and its 77th percentile ranking places it near rivals like the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D and Intel Core i5-13400F, while the Ultra 7's 96th percentile puts it alongside server-class Xeon and EPYC parts.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design eras. The Core 5 120 uses Raptor Lake, specifically the Raptor Lake-R refresh, built on Intel's 10 nm process. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus uses Arrow Lake Refresh, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. This node difference explains the efficiency and density gap. The Ultra 7 packs 17,800 million transistors into a 243 mm² die, while the Core 5 120 has no listed transistor count and a smaller 163 mm² die. The Ultra 7 is a much larger and more complex chip.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The Core 5 120 has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 7 has 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3. The Ultra 7's L3 cache is exactly double, and its per-core L2 is 2.4 times larger. This larger cache pool helps feed its 24 cores and explains part of its massive multi-thread advantage.

The Ultra 7 also uses a different core arrangement. It has 24 cores and 24 threads, meaning no hyperthreading, while the Core 5 120 has 6 cores and 12 threads, using hyperthreading to double its thread count. The Ultra 7's base clock is 3.70 GHz versus 2.50 GHz, and its boost clock is 5.50 GHz versus 4.50 GHz. The Ultra 7 is faster at every clock step.

Memory support diverges. The Core 5 120 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Ultra 7 supports only DDR5. The Ultra 7 has a listed memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, while the Core 5 120 has no specified bandwidth figure. The Ultra 7 also supports ECC memory, which the Core 5 120 does not. PCIe lanes differ: the Ultra 7 has Gen 5 with 20 lanes, while the Core 5 120 has Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

The integrated graphics differ as well. The Core 5 120 uses UHD Graphics 730, while the Ultra 7 uses Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. The Ultra 7's Arc-based iGPU is a newer generation. The sockets are incompatible: the Core 5 120 uses Intel Socket 1700, while the Ultra 7 uses Intel Socket 1851.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single gap in the entire comparison is in PassMark find prime numbers, where the Ultra 7 scores 615 versus the Core 5 120's 77, an 87.5% difference. This test is highly parallel and benefits from the Ultra 7's 24 cores. PassMark data encryption shows an 81.2% gap, with scores of 59,097 versus 11,131. Floating point math shows an 80.2% gap, 229,491 versus 45,383. Random string sorting shows a 77.8% gap, 96,945 versus 21,499. Extended instructions show a 77.5% gap, 63,506 versus 14,264.

Cinebench results follow the same pattern but with smaller margins. R15 multi-core shows 6,656 versus 1,840, a 72.4% gap. R20 multi-core shows 24,461 versus 7,667, a 68.7% gap. R23 multi-core shows 44,253 versus 18,255, a 58.7% gap. The R23 gap is smaller than R15 and R20, suggesting the longer R23 workload narrows the relative difference, but the Ultra 7 still wins by a wide margin.

PassMark multithread shows 68,574 versus 18,597, a 72.9% gap. Physics shows 4,064 versus 1,333, a 67.2% gap. Integer math shows 175,986 versus 60,462, a 65.6% gap. Data compression shows 804,322 versus 219,535, a 72.7% gap.

Single-thread tests are closer. PassMark single-thread shows 5,068 versus 3,595, a 29.1% gap. Cinebench R15 single-core shows 354 versus 259, a 26.8% gap. R20 single-core shows 3,453 versus 1,082, a 68.7% gap, which is unusually large for a single-thread test. The R23 single-core is the only test the Core 5 120 wins, 2,577 versus 2,439, a 5.7% margin. This single result does not offset the Ultra 7's dominance across every other metric.

The average benchmark scores confirm the overall picture. The Ultra 7's 93,785 average is 3.7 times the Core 5 120's 25,362. The nearest rivals for the Core 5 120 are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at 25,365, the Intel Core i7-11700KF at 25,423, the Intel Core i5-13400F at 25,292, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U at 25,432. The Core 5 120 sits within 0.3% of all these parts, indicating it competes with mid-range chips from a few years ago. The Ultra 7's nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon 6520P at 93,786, the AMD EPYC 4564P at 95,183, the AMD EPYC 9175F at 95,615, and the AMD EPYC 4565P at 95,764. The Ultra 7 sits within 2.1% of these server processors, placing it in enterprise-class territory.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ on nearly every specification field. Core count: 6 versus 24. Threads: 12 versus 24. Base clock: 2.50 GHz versus 3.70 GHz. Boost clock: 4.50 GHz versus 5.50 GHz. TDP: 65 W versus 125 W. Socket: 1700 versus 1851. Process node: 10 nm versus 3 nm. Foundry: Intel versus TSMC. Die size: 163 mm² versus 243 mm². L1 cache: 80 KB per core versus 192 KB per core. L2 cache: 1.25 MB per core versus 3 MB per core. L3 cache: 18 MB shared versus 36 MB shared. Memory support: DDR4 and DDR5 versus DDR5 only. Memory bandwidth: not listed versus 115.2 GB/s. ECC memory: no versus yes. PCIe lanes: 16 versus 20. Integrated graphics: UHD Graphics 730 versus Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU. Release date: 2025-07-30 versus 2026-03-10. Launch MSRP: $211 versus $299. Multiplier unlocked: no versus yes. Part number: SA35V versus SA4V6.

The Ultra 7 has a higher TDP of 125 W versus 65 W, reflecting its larger core count and higher clocks. It also has an unlocked multiplier, meaning it can be overclocked, while the Core 5 120 is locked. The Ultra 7 is a newer product, released later, and supports ECC memory, a feature absent from the Core 5 120. The Ultra 7's transistor count of 17,800 million is listed, while the Core 5 120 has no transistor figure.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has 24 cores, compared to the Intel Core 5 120's 6 cores.

Q: Does the Core 5 120 support DDR4?

A: Yes, the Core 5 120 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, while the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus supports DDR5 only.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, while the Intel Core 5 120 has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus averages 93,785, while the Core 5 120 averages 25,362, a difference of 68,423 points.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core 5 120 does not.

Q: What is the release date difference?

A: The Intel Core 5 120 was released on 2025-07-30, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus was released on 2026-03-10.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus outperforms the Intel Core 5 120 in 16 of 17 benchmarks, with an average score 3.7 times higher. Its 24 cores, 36 MB of L3 cache, and 5.50 GHz boost clock make it the superior choice for any multi-threaded workload, from rendering to compression to encryption. Its 96th percentile ranking places it among server-class processors, while the Core 5 120's 77th percentile places it in the mid-range desktop tier.

The Core 5 120's single win in Cinebench R23 single-core, a 5.7% margin, does not change the overall picture. It is a lower-power, lower-cost part with 65 W TDP, a 163 mm² die, and support for older DDR4 memory. It is suitable for basic desktop use where multi-core performance is not a priority. The Ultra 7, with its 125 W TDP, 243 mm² die, and Arc Xe-LPG graphics, is a high-end desktop processor for demanding applications.

For a user who needs maximum multi-threaded throughput and can accommodate the higher power draw, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is the only choice. For a user with a Socket 1700 motherboard and a limited need for core count, the Core 5 120 remains a functional, modest option, but the benchmark results show it is in a different performance class. The recorded data supports a clear verdict: the Ultra 7 is the dominant processor in this comparison.