Core Ultra 5 135H vs Ryzen 5 5600

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 Ultra 5 135H

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.4% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core Ultra 5 135H.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 135H across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,550 vs 22,116).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 135H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 135H moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 135H

2023

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.4% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+77.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 18 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core Ultra 5 135H.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 135H across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,550 vs 22,116).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 135H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 135H moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 135H better than Ryzen 5 5600?

Yes. Core Ultra 5 135H is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.4% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 2.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core Ultra 5 135H is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.4% more average FPS across 45 shared CPU game tests.

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 2.6% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 18 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 135H is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core Ultra 5 135H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.4% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds 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 2022), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 18 threads instead of 6/12. 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 Ultra 5 135H Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135H	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	193 FPS	161 FPS
medium	154 FPS	130 FPS
high	126 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	141 FPS
medium	122 FPS	113 FPS
high	98 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	86 FPS	79 FPS
medium	73 FPS	69 FPS
high	59 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135H Open Ryzen 5 5600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135H	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	553 FPS	508 FPS
medium	521 FPS	419 FPS
high	422 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	378 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	549 FPS	447 FPS
medium	457 FPS	375 FPS
high	379 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	324 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	337 FPS	313 FPS
medium	283 FPS	268 FPS
high	258 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	226 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135H Open Ryzen 5 5600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135H	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	553 FPS	539 FPS
medium	553 FPS	526 FPS
high	553 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	414 FPS
1440p
low	553 FPS	539 FPS
medium	553 FPS	434 FPS
high	553 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	494 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	548 FPS	371 FPS
medium	441 FPS	298 FPS
high	400 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	321 FPS	197 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135H Open Ryzen 5 5600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 135H	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	553 FPS	539 FPS
medium	553 FPS	539 FPS
high	553 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	553 FPS	539 FPS
medium	553 FPS	539 FPS
high	553 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	553 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	553 FPS	501 FPS
medium	524 FPS	448 FPS
high	473 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	413 FPS	349 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 135H Open Ryzen 5 5600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 135H and Ryzen 5 5600

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.

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 135H packs 14 cores / 18 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 5 135H has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 135H versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 135H (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 135H uses the Meteor Lake-H (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 135H scores 22,116 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 2.6% lead for the Core Ultra 5 135H. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 135H vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135H	Ryzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads	14 / 18+133%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+5%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+78%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-H (2023)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	22,116+3%	21,550
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	11,077
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,600

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 135H uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 135H	Ryzen 5 5600
Socket	FCBGA2049	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24