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 i9-9980XE

2018

Why buy it

✅+51.5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).
✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,979 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 225H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌725% higher power demand at 165W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 225H moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 225H

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 20W instead of 165W, a 145W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc 130T GPU, while Core i9-9980XE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (14,526 vs 22,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 25 MB).

Core i9-9980XE

2018

Core Ultra 5 225H

2025

Why buy it

✅+51.5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).
✅57.1% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 20W instead of 165W, a 145W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc 130T GPU, while Core i9-9980XE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,979 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 225H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌725% higher power demand at 165W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 225H moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (14,526 vs 22,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 25 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225H better than Core i9-9980XE?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 225H is ahead with a 22.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9980XE pulls ahead with 51.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i9-9980XE also has the bigger cache pool with 37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9980XE is the better fit. You are getting 51.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 37.5% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 18 MB).

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

Core Ultra 5 225H is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core Ultra 5 225H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,979 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-9980XE only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (14.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2066.

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

Core Ultra 5 225H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2018) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066. 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 i9-9980XE Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 225H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
1080p
low	168 FPS	299 FPS
medium	148 FPS	262 FPS
high	119 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	245 FPS
medium	120 FPS	193 FPS
high	96 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	168 FPS
medium	70 FPS	134 FPS
high	55 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Core Ultra 5 225H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
1080p
low	498 FPS	685 FPS
medium	429 FPS	543 FPS
high	370 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	335 FPS	385 FPS
1440p
low	430 FPS	566 FPS
medium	377 FPS	471 FPS
high	329 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	327 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	349 FPS
medium	234 FPS	293 FPS
high	222 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	233 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Core Ultra 5 225H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
1080p
low	728 FPS	720 FPS
medium	728 FPS	720 FPS
high	728 FPS	720 FPS
ultra	645 FPS	653 FPS
1440p
low	728 FPS	720 FPS
medium	659 FPS	720 FPS
high	624 FPS	624 FPS
ultra	554 FPS	537 FPS
4K
low	492 FPS	628 FPS
medium	414 FPS	519 FPS
high	371 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	383 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Core Ultra 5 225H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
1080p
low	728 FPS	720 FPS
medium	728 FPS	720 FPS
high	728 FPS	720 FPS
ultra	679 FPS	720 FPS
1440p
low	728 FPS	720 FPS
medium	728 FPS	720 FPS
high	639 FPS	677 FPS
ultra	558 FPS	579 FPS
4K
low	581 FPS	604 FPS
medium	525 FPS	538 FPS
high	469 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	409 FPS	423 FPS

Open Core i9-9980XE Open Core Ultra 5 225H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9980XE and Core Ultra 5 225H

Core i9-9980XE

The Core i9-9980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 29,127 points. Launch price was $1,979.

Core Ultra 5 225H

The Core Ultra 5 225H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-H (2025) architecture. It features 14 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 MB + 18 MB. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 28,802 points. Launch price was $385.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-9980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225H offers 14 cores / 14 threads — the Core i9-9980XE has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9980XE versus 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225H — a 8.5% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225H (base: 3 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The Core i9-9980XE uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 225H uses Arrow Lake-H (2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9980XE scores 29,127 against the Core Ultra 5 225H's 28,802 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i9-9980XE. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22,000 vs 14,526 (40.9% advantage for the Core i9-9980XE). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,459 vs 2,678, a 58.9% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,177 vs 12,337 (1.3% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225H). L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980XE vs 18 MB on the Core Ultra 5 225H.

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
Cores / Threads	18 / 36+29%	14 / 14
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.9 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3 GHz	4.3 GHz+43%
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)+38%	18 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Arrow Lake-H (2025)
PassMark	29,127+1%	28,802
Cinebench R23 Multi	22,000+51%	14,526
Geekbench 6 Single	1,459	2,678+84%
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,177	12,337+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 225H uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i9-9980XE versus DDR5-6400 on the Core Ultra 5 225H — the Core Ultra 5 225H supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-9980XE) vs 2 (Core Ultra 5 225H). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-9980XE) vs 28 (Core Ultra 5 225H) — the Core i9-9980XE offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-9980XE) and WM880,HM870 (Core Ultra 5 225H).

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
Socket	LGA2066	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	44+57%	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-9980XE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core Ultra 5 225H includes integrated graphics (Intel Arc 130T GPU), while the Core i9-9980XE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i9-9980XE targets HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation, Core Ultra 5 225H targets Professional Content Creation Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-9980XE rivals Ryzen Threadripper 2950X; Core Ultra 5 225H rivals Ryzen 7 9800H.

Feature	Core i9-9980XE	Core Ultra 5 225H
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel Arc 130T GPU
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation	Professional Content Creation Laptop