5 120 vs Apple M2
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 965 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple Apple M-Series | no data |
| Power efficiency | 17.96 | no data |
| Designer | Apple | Intel |
| Manufacturer | no data | Intel |
| Architecture codename | no data | Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) |
| Release date | 10 June 2022 (3 years ago) | 31 July 2025 (recently) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $211 |
Detailed specifications
M2 and Core 5 120 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 8 (Octa-Core) | 6 (Hexa-Core) |
| Threads | 8 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 2.424 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.48 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| L1 cache | 2 MB | 80 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 20 MB | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | no data | 18 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 5 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | no data | 163 mm2 |
| Number of transistors | 20000 Million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
Compatibility
Information on M2 and Core 5 120 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | 1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 20 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by M2 and Core 5 120. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
Security technologies
M2 and Core 5 120 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by M2 and Core 5 120 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by M2 and Core 5 120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR4, DDR5 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M2 10-Core GPU ( - 1398 MHz) | Intel UHD Graphics 730 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by M2 and Core 5 120.
| PCIe version | no data | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 20 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 10 June 2022 | 31 July 2025 |
| Physical cores | 8 | 6 |
| Threads | 8 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 5 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 20 Watt | 65 Watt |
Apple M2 has 33.3% more physical cores, a 100% more advanced lithography process, and 225% lower power consumption.
Core 5 120, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, and 50% more threads.
We couldn't decide between Apple M2 and Intel Core 5 120. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Apple M2 is a notebook processor while Core 5 120 is a desktop one.
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