5 120U vs i9-10900K

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i9-10900K
2020
10 cores / 20 threads, 125 Watt
14.33
+37.3%
Core 5 120U
2024
10 cores / 12 threads, 15 Watt
10.44

Core i9-10900K outperforms Core 5 120U by a substantial 37% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking501740
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation14.99no data
Market segmentDesktop processorLaptop
Seriesno dataRaptor Lake-U
Power efficiency10.8565.87
Architecture codenameComet Lake (2020)Raptor Lake-U Refresh (2024)
Release date30 April 2020 (4 years ago)8 January 2024 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$488no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U 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 cores10 (Deca-Core)10 (Deca-Core)
Threads2012
Base clock speed3.7 GHz1.4 GHz
Boost clock speed5.2 GHz5 GHz
Bus rate8 GT/s55 MHz
L1 cache64 KB (per core)80 KB (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)1.25 MB (per core)
L3 cache20 MB (shared)12 MB (shared)
Chip lithography14 nmIntel 7 nm
Die size206 mm2no data
Maximum core temperature100 °C100 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °Cno data
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility+no data
Unlocked multiplier+-

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U 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 configuration11
SocketFCLGA1200FCBGA1744
Power consumption (TDP)125 Watt15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI++
FMA+-
AVX++
vPro++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Speed Shiftno data+
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology++
TSX-+
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring++
Flex Memory Accessno data+
SIPP+-
Turbo Boost Max 3.0+no data
Deep Learning Boost-+

Security technologies

Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT++
EDB++
Secure Key++
Identity Protection+-
SGXYes with Intel® MEno data
OS Guard++

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U are enumerated here.

VT-d++
VT-x++
EPT++

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267
Maximum memory size128 GB96 GB
Max memory channels22
Maximum memory bandwidth45.8 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel UHD Graphics 630Intel® Graphics
Max video memory64 GBno data
Quick Sync Video++
Clear Video+no data
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.2 GHz1.25 GHz
Execution Unitsno data80
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported34

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support+no data
Max resolution over HDMI 1.44096 x 2160@30Hz4096 x 2304 @ 60Hz
Max resolution over eDP4096 x 2304@60Hz4096 x 2304 @ 120Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort4096 x 2304@60Hz7680 x 4320 @ 60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX1212.1
OpenGL4.54.6

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U.

PCIe version3.04.0
PCI Express lanes168

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i9-10900K 14.33
+37.3%
5 120U 10.44

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i9-10900K 22765
+37.2%
5 120U 16587

Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.

i9-10900K 2533
+76.9%
5 120U 1432

Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core

Cinebench R15 (standing for Release 15) is a benchmark made by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version (sometimes called Single-Thread) only uses a single processor thread to render a room full of reflective spheres and light sources.

i9-10900K 217
5 120U 257
+18.4%

Geekbench 5.5 Multi-Core

i9-10900K 11393
+32.8%
5 120U 8576

Blender(-)

i9-10900K 179
5 120U 437
+144%

Geekbench 5.5 Single-Core

i9-10900K 1428
5 120U 1858
+30.1%

7-Zip Single

i9-10900K 5811
5 120U 5882
+1.2%

7-Zip

i9-10900K 69987
+108%
5 120U 33657

WebXPRT 3

i9-10900K 255
5 120U 291
+14.1%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 14.33 10.44
Recency 30 April 2020 8 January 2024
Threads 20 12
Power consumption (TDP) 125 Watt 15 Watt

i9-10900K has a 37.3% higher aggregate performance score, and 66.7% more threads.

5 120U, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, and 733.3% lower power consumption.

The Core i9-10900K is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 5 120U in performance tests.

Note that Core i9-10900K is a desktop processor while Core 5 120U is a notebook one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-10900K and Core 5 120U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i9-10900K
Core i9-10900K
Intel Core 5 120U
Core 5 120U

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i9-10900K or Core 5 120U, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.