PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core 5 220H

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,192 vs 21,365).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌28.6% higher power demand at 45W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11850HE

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 45W, a 10W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core 5 220H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 220H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Core 5 220H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core 5 220H moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core 5 220H

2024

Core i7-11850HE

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1787 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 45W, a 10W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics, while Core 5 220H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,192 vs 21,365).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 24 MB).
❌28.6% higher power demand at 45W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11850HE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core 5 220H across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Core 5 220H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1787 with DDR4, while Core 5 220H moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-11850HE better than Core 5 220H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core 5 220H is ahead with a 30.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11850HE pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Core i7-11850HE also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11850HE is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 18 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i7-11850HE is the smarter buy today. Core i7-11850HE is at an unclear MSRP at $400 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core 5 220H is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 30.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (53.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core 5 220H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1787. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core 5 220H Benchmark Check

Core i7-11850HE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 220H	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	277 FPS	165 FPS
medium	249 FPS	145 FPS
high	210 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	141 FPS
medium	186 FPS	120 FPS
high	152 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	77 FPS
medium	131 FPS	71 FPS
high	101 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core 5 220H Open Core i7-11850HE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 220H	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	530 FPS	297 FPS
medium	521 FPS	257 FPS
high	427 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	196 FPS
1440p
low	530 FPS	255 FPS
medium	449 FPS	228 FPS
high	376 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	330 FPS	158 FPS
medium	279 FPS	143 FPS
high	256 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	119 FPS

Open Core 5 220H Open Core i7-11850HE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 220H	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	530 FPS	534 FPS
medium	530 FPS	534 FPS
high	530 FPS	524 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	419 FPS
1440p
low	530 FPS	534 FPS
medium	530 FPS	518 FPS
high	530 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	530 FPS	444 FPS
medium	492 FPS	375 FPS
high	439 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	268 FPS

Open Core 5 220H Open Core i7-11850HE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 220H	Core i7-11850HE
1080p
low	530 FPS	534 FPS
medium	530 FPS	534 FPS
high	530 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	534 FPS
1440p
low	530 FPS	534 FPS
medium	530 FPS	534 FPS
high	530 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	530 FPS	534 FPS
medium	530 FPS	482 FPS
high	500 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	431 FPS	373 FPS

Open Core 5 220H Open Core i7-11850HE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 220H and Core i7-11850HE

Core 5 220H

The Core 5 220H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 December 2024 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 21,192 points. Launch price was $342.

Core i7-11850HE

The Core i7-11850HE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 August 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,365 points. Launch price was $400.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 5 220H packs 12 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-11850HE offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core 5 220H has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core 5 220H versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-11850HE — a 4.2% clock advantage for the Core 5 220H (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core 5 220H uses the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i7-11850HE uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 220H scores 21,192 against the Core i7-11850HE's 21,365 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-11850HE. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core 5 220H vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-11850HE.

Feature	Core 5 220H	Core i7-11850HE
Cores / Threads	12 / 16+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+4%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.7 GHz+29%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+60%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	10 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	21,192	21,365
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,984

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 5 220H uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-11850HE uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 220H	Core i7-11850HE
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 220H) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-11850HE). The Core i7-11850HE includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics), while the Core 5 220H requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-11850HE targets Embedded/Industrial. Direct competitor: Core i7-11850HE rivals Ryzen Embedded V3000.