5 120 vs i7-6900K
Aggregate performance score
Core 5 120 outperforms Core i7-6900K by a considerable 47% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
Comparing processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1016 | 691 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 1.04 | 46.99 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 2.52 | 8.02 |
| Designer | Intel | Intel |
| Manufacturer | Intel | Intel |
| Architecture codename | Broadwell-E (2016) | Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) |
| Release date | 31 May 2016 (9 years ago) | 31 July 2025 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1,020 | $211 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Core 5 120 has 4418% better value for money than i7-6900K.
Performance to price scatter graph
Detailed specifications
Core i7-6900K 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 | 16 | 12 |
| Base clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4 GHz | 4.5 GHz |
| L1 cache | 32 KB (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256 KB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 20 MB (shared) | 18 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| Die size | no data | 163 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 72 °C | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | no data |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-6900K 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 | 1 | 1 |
| Socket | FCLGA2011 | 1700 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 140 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6900K 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) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | no data |
| Idle States | + | no data |
| Smart Response | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Max 3.0 | + | no data |
Security technologies
Core i7-6900K and Core 5 120 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | + |
| EDB | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6900K and Core 5 120 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-6900K and Core 5 120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4 | DDR4, DDR5 |
| Maximum memory size | 128 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 4 | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel UHD Graphics 730 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6900K and Core 5 120.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 40 | 20 |
Synthetic benchmarks
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.
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. Other than that, Passmark measures multi-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 8.32 | 12.27 |
| Recency | 31 May 2016 | 31 July 2025 |
| Physical cores | 8 | 6 |
| Threads | 16 | 12 |
| Chip lithography | 14 nm | 10 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 140 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-6900K has 33.3% more physical cores and 33.3% more threads.
Core 5 120, on the other hand, has a 47.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 9 years, a 40% more advanced lithography process, and 115.4% lower power consumption.
The Intel Core 5 120 is our recommended choice as it beats the Intel Core i7-6900K in performance tests.
Other comparisons
We've compiled a selection of CPU comparisons, ranging from closely matched processors to other comparisons that may be of interest.
