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AMD Ryzen 5 230 vs Intel Core 5 120U: Comparison
AMD Ryzen 5 230 vs Intel Core 5 120U: the total cores difference
These two are close on paper, and total cores is the only measure that separates them at all: AMD Ryzen 5 230 6 against Intel Core 5 120U 10. L3 cache runs the same way, 16 MB on the AMD Ryzen 5 230 versus 12 MB on the Intel Core 5 120U, another win for AMD Ryzen 5 230.
Which should you buy, AMD Ryzen 5 230 or Intel Core 5 120U?
The AMD Ryzen 5 230 suits budget and midrange thin-and-light laptops and office work, browsing and video calls, though it is the wrong buy for modern games at high settings without a dedicated GPU and copilot+ PC AI features, which need a 40+ TOPS NPU. It is the wrong buy for heavy video rendering or 3D work, where 8-core chips finish much sooner. The Intel Core 5 120U is the one to take for affordable everyday and business thin-and-light laptops and office work, browsing, video calls and streaming, though it is not the pick for gaming beyond older or light titles at low settings and AI features that need an NPU, since it has none. The same goes for buyers who want a quick, simple laptop without paying for AI features. It is not the one for heavy video rendering or code compiling, where H-series chips finish sooner. Our rating of the Intel Core 5 120U (7.7/10): the Intel Core 5 120U prioritizes battery life and portability, fitting thin business and everyday laptops.
Do the AMD Ryzen 5 230 and Intel Core 5 120U differ on performance cores?
Yes. Performance Cores reads 6 on the AMD Ryzen 5 230 versus 2 on the Intel Core 5 120U.
Is the Total Threads the same on the AMD Ryzen 5 230 and Intel Core 5 120U?
It is. Both are listed at 12, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Form Factor
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- Laptop
- Intel Core 5 120U
- Laptop
Codename
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- Hawk Point
- Intel Core 5 120U
- Raptor Lake
Release Year
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 2025
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 2024
TDP
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 28 W
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 15 W
iGPU
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- AMD Radeon 760M (8 cores, up to 2600 MHz)
- Intel Core 5 120U
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Market Segment
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- Laptop
- Intel Core 5 120U
- Laptop
Socket
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- FP8, FP7, FP7r2
- Intel Core 5 120U
- BGA 1744
Process Node
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 4 nm
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 7 nm
Total Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 6
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 10Best
Performance Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 6Best
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 2
Efficiency Cores
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 0
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 8Best
Total Threads
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 12
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 12
SMT Enabled
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- Yes
- Intel Core 5 120U
- Yes
P-Core Base Clock
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 3.5 GHz
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 1.4 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- Up to 4.9 GHz
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 4.7 GHz
L3 Cache
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 16 MBBest
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 12 MB-25%
Base Power
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- 15-30W
- Intel Core 5 120U
- 15 W
Memory Type
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- DDR5 (FP8) , LPDDR5X (FP8) , DDR5 (FP7r2) , LPDDR5X (FP7), 2-Channel
- Intel Core 5 120U
- DDR5, DDR4, LPDDR5, LPDDR5x, LPDDR4x
Integrated Graphics
- AMD Ryzen 5 230
- Yes
- Intel Core 5 120U
- Yes
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Ryzen 5 230 if you want the higher L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
Choose Intel Core 5 120U if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
Intel Core 5 120U
7.7 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Core 5 120U prioritizes battery life and portability, fitting thin business and everyday laptops.