ultimateimp – Intel has quietly rebranded its older i5-12400 silicon under a new name: the Intel Core 5 120 and Core 5 120F. Despite offering nearly identical specs to the 2022 i5-12400 series. These chips carry unexpectedly high preliminary prices that exceed newer and faster options in Intel’s own lineup.
Read More : Portsmouth Secure Loan Deal for Spurs Winger Yang
Retailer listings, first spotted by industry tracker momomo_us, show the Core 5 120 priced at $246.01, while the 120F, which lacks integrated graphics, is listed at $216.66. These figures are not final but suggest Intel may initially position these chips at a premium. If accurate, the pricing places them significantly above the faster Core i5-14400 at $176. And even the unlocked i5-14600K, currently selling for around $199.
Under the hood, little has changed. Both chips rely on the same six performance cores with Hyper-Threading and omit efficiency cores. They share an 18 MB L3 cache, similar to the original i5-12400. The Core 5 120 bumps the turbo frequency slightly to 4.5 GHz. Up from 4.4 GHz, and reduces the turbo TDP to 110 watts. However, the performance uplift is likely minimal.
The Core 5 120F drops integrated graphics entirely, requiring a dedicated GPU, which may suit budget gaming builds. Yet, with early pricing almost double that of the current i5-12400F. It’s difficult to justify the cost without a significant market correction.
Intel Faces Pricing Backlash as Budget Buyers Look Elsewhere
The Core 5 120 series enters a competitive market where consumers have numerous alternatives at lower prices and better performance. Intel’s own i5-14400 and i5-14600K offer more modern configurations, including additional efficiency cores and higher boost speeds, often at lower retail prices. Meanwhile, AMD’s value-oriented chips remain strong contenders in the mid-range segment.
This is not the first time a chipmaker has refreshed old silicon with a new name and a premium price tag. AMD previously did so with its Ryzen 3000XT and 5000XT series, which also launched above expected values before settling closer to standard pricing. Historically, inflated launch prices on recycled chips tend not to last long.
Read More : Tesla Grants Elon Musk $29B Share Award in Pay Deal
If the Core 5 120 and 120F drop closer to the $100 mark, as some analysts suggest, they could become a practical choice for entry-level builds. Six Raptor Lake-class cores running at 4.5 GHz are more than adequate for popular esports titles and everyday workloads, especially for those sticking with the older LGA 1700 socket.
For now, however, buyers are advised to wait. Until prices adjust, the Core 5 120 series risks being ignored in favor of newer Intel models or affordable AMD competitors. Builders seeking performance and value should track real-world pricing before making a purchase decision. Intel’s quiet rollout may signal a short-term push to move leftover 12th-gen silicon, but it must balance pricing to remain competitive. The rebrand will only find traction if market pricing aligns with buyer expectations.
