Core i9-10850K vs Core Ultra 5 135H

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 i9-10850K

2020

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,964 vs 22,116).
❌Launch MSRP is still $453 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 135H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 135H moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 135H

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-10850K

2020

Core Ultra 5 135H

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,964 vs 22,116).
❌Launch MSRP is still $453 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 135H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 135H moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10850K better than Core Ultra 5 135H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-10850K is ahead with a 1.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 135H pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 135H is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 18 threads.

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

Core i9-10850K is the smarter buy today. Core i9-10850K is at an unclear MSRP at $453 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 1.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core Ultra 5 135H is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.7% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (48.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Ultra 5 135H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 18 threads instead of 10/20. 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 i9-10850K Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 135H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10850K	Core Ultra 5 135H
1080p
low	271 FPS	193 FPS
medium	249 FPS	154 FPS
high	208 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	156 FPS
medium	192 FPS	122 FPS
high	157 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	86 FPS
medium	133 FPS	73 FPS
high	103 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core i9-10850K Open Core Ultra 5 135H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10850K	Core Ultra 5 135H
1080p
low	549 FPS	553 FPS
medium	537 FPS	521 FPS
high	456 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	416 FPS	378 FPS
1440p
low	549 FPS	549 FPS
medium	481 FPS	457 FPS
high	409 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	324 FPS
4K
low	321 FPS	337 FPS
medium	285 FPS	283 FPS
high	272 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	237 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i9-10850K Open Core Ultra 5 135H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10850K	Core Ultra 5 135H
1080p
low	549 FPS	553 FPS
medium	549 FPS	553 FPS
high	523 FPS	553 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	553 FPS
1440p
low	549 FPS	553 FPS
medium	549 FPS	553 FPS
high	469 FPS	553 FPS
ultra	388 FPS	494 FPS
4K
low	476 FPS	548 FPS
medium	409 FPS	441 FPS
high	365 FPS	400 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	321 FPS

Open Core i9-10850K Open Core Ultra 5 135H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10850K	Core Ultra 5 135H
1080p
low	549 FPS	553 FPS
medium	549 FPS	553 FPS
high	549 FPS	553 FPS
ultra	549 FPS	553 FPS
1440p
low	549 FPS	553 FPS
medium	549 FPS	553 FPS
high	549 FPS	553 FPS
ultra	543 FPS	553 FPS
4K
low	538 FPS	553 FPS
medium	490 FPS	524 FPS
high	439 FPS	473 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	413 FPS

Open Core i9-10850K Open Core Ultra 5 135H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10850K and Core Ultra 5 135H

Core i9-10850K

The Core i9-10850K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-S (2020) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 21,964 points. Launch price was $453.

Core Ultra 5 135H

The Core Ultra 5 135H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-H (2023) architecture. It features 14 cores and 18 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): + 18 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,116 points. Launch price was $342.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10850K packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 135H offers 14 cores / 18 threads — the Core Ultra 5 135H has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10850K versus 4.6 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 135H — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-10850K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i9-10850K uses the Comet Lake-S (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 135H uses Meteor Lake-H (2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10850K scores 21,964 against the Core Ultra 5 135H's 22,116 — a 0.7% lead for the Core Ultra 5 135H. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i9-10850K vs 18 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 135H.

Feature	Core i9-10850K	Core Ultra 5 135H
Cores / Threads	10 / 20	14 / 18+40%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+11%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+11%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake-S (2020)	Meteor Lake-H (2023)
PassMark	21,964	22,116

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10850K uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 135H uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.