Core Ultra 5 225T vs M2 Max

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 225T

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $240 MSRP, while M2 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.

M2 Max

2023

Why buy it

✅+140% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225T across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,824 vs 26,874).

Core Ultra 5 225T

2025

M2 Max

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+140% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 65W, a 29W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $240 MSRP, while M2 Max mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80.6% higher power demand at 65W vs 36W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225T across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (26,824 vs 26,874).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225T better than M2 Max?

Yes. Core Ultra 5 225T is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% 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 225T is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.3% more average FPS across 50 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 225T is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 10 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 225T is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 225T is at an unclear MSRP at $240 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (112.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible none + DDR5 setup, M2 Max can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Core Ultra 5 225T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 10 threads instead of 12/12. 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 225T Benchmark Check

M2 Max Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225T	M2 Max
1080p
low	253 FPS	189 FPS
medium	244 FPS	152 FPS
high	206 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	175 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	217 FPS	155 FPS
medium	186 FPS	121 FPS
high	153 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	148 FPS	71 FPS
medium	126 FPS	59 FPS
high	98 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225T Open M2 Max

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225T	M2 Max
1080p
low	595 FPS	505 FPS
medium	508 FPS	437 FPS
high	420 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	498 FPS	429 FPS
medium	438 FPS	379 FPS
high	370 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	317 FPS	240 FPS
4K
low	299 FPS	266 FPS
medium	264 FPS	239 FPS
high	246 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	173 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225T Open M2 Max

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225T	M2 Max
1080p
low	672 FPS	671 FPS
medium	672 FPS	670 FPS
high	609 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	522 FPS	552 FPS
1440p
low	672 FPS	605 FPS
medium	588 FPS	483 FPS
high	515 FPS	444 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	423 FPS
medium	422 FPS	329 FPS
high	377 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225T Open M2 Max

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225T	M2 Max
1080p
low	672 FPS	671 FPS
medium	672 FPS	671 FPS
high	672 FPS	671 FPS
ultra	672 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	672 FPS	671 FPS
medium	672 FPS	663 FPS
high	611 FPS	569 FPS
ultra	535 FPS	489 FPS
4K
low	550 FPS	545 FPS
medium	501 FPS	486 FPS
high	448 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	393 FPS	368 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225T Open M2 Max

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 225T and M2 Max

Core Ultra 5 225T

The Core Ultra 5 225T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2025 (recentemente). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 26,874 points. Launch price was $299.

M2 Max

The M2 Max is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 17 January 2023 (2 years ago). It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. L2 cache: 36 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 36 MB + 48 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 26,824 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 225T packs 10 cores / 10 threads, while the M2 Max offers 12 cores / 12 threads — the M2 Max has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225T versus 3.7 GHz on the M2 Max — a 27.9% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225T (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.424 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 225T is built on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 225T scores 26,874 against the M2 Max's 26,824 — a 0.2% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225T. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 225T vs 48 MB on the M2 Max.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 225T	M2 Max
Cores / Threads	10 / 10	12 / 12+20%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+32%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+3%	2.424 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	48 MB+140%
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)	36 MB+1100%
Process	3 nm-40%	5 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	—
PassMark	26,874	26,824
Geekbench 6 Single	2,677	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,943	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 225T uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the M2 Max uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR5-6400 memory speed. The Core Ultra 5 225T supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 96 GB — 90.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core Ultra 5 225T) vs 4 (M2 Max). PCIe lanes: 24 (Core Ultra 5 225T) vs 0 (M2 Max) — the Core Ultra 5 225T offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 225T	M2 Max
Socket	LGA1851	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	LPDDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+167%	96 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	24	0

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 225T) vs Virtualization (M2 Max). Both include integrated graphics — Arc Graphics (16EU) (Core Ultra 5 225T) and Apple M2 Max GPU (M2 Max) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 225T targets Budget, M2 Max targets Mobile. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 225T rivals Ryzen 5 9600X.