Core 5 210H vs Core Ultra 5 225U

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 210H

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌221.4% higher power demand at 45W vs 14W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 225U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 14W instead of 45W, a 31W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores), while Core 5 210H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,434 vs 18,602).

Core 5 210H

2024

Core Ultra 5 225U

2025

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 14W instead of 45W, a 31W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores), while Core 5 210H needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌221.4% higher power demand at 45W vs 14W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,434 vs 18,602).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225U better than Core 5 210H?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 225U is ahead with a 9.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 210H pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 5 210H is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 225U still looks like the safer overall buy. Core Ultra 5 225U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 9.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Core Ultra 5 225U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2024). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 210H Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 225U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core 5 210H	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	275 FPS	277 FPS
medium	246 FPS	248 FPS
high	207 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	181 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	230 FPS
medium	185 FPS	185 FPS
high	152 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	161 FPS
medium	130 FPS	131 FPS
high	100 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core 5 210H Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core 5 210H	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	212 FPS	416 FPS
medium	177 FPS	335 FPS
high	160 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	141 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	180 FPS	354 FPS
medium	156 FPS	296 FPS
high	144 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	276 FPS
medium	125 FPS	237 FPS
high	118 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	188 FPS

Open Core 5 210H Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core 5 210H	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	465 FPS	461 FPS
medium	465 FPS	461 FPS
high	465 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	465 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	465 FPS	461 FPS
medium	465 FPS	461 FPS
high	465 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	465 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	465 FPS	461 FPS
medium	461 FPS	461 FPS
high	404 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core 5 210H Open Core Ultra 5 225U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core 5 210H	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	465 FPS	461 FPS
medium	465 FPS	461 FPS
high	465 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	465 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	465 FPS	461 FPS
medium	465 FPS	461 FPS
high	465 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	465 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	465 FPS	461 FPS
medium	465 FPS	461 FPS
high	465 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	410 FPS

Open Core 5 210H Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 5 210H and Core Ultra 5 225U

Core 5 210H

The Core 5 210H 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 8 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 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: 18,602 points. Launch price was $342.

Core Ultra 5 225U

The Core Ultra 5 225U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): 14 MB + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,434 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core 5 210H packs 8 cores / 12 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 5 225U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core 5 210H versus 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225U — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core 5 210H uses the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture (10 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 225U uses Arrow Lake-U (2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core 5 210H scores 18,602 against the Core Ultra 5 225U's 18,434 — a 0.9% lead for the Core 5 210H. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core 5 210H vs 12 MB on the Core Ultra 5 225U.

Feature	Core 5 210H	Core Ultra 5 225U
Cores / Threads	8 / 12	12 / 14+50%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.4 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	—
Process	10 nm	5 nm-50%
Architecture	Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024)	Arrow Lake-U (2025)
PassMark	18,602	18,434
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,374
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	7,846

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Memory & Platform

The Core 5 210H uses the FCBGA1744 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 225U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 5 210H	Core Ultra 5 225U
Socket	FCBGA1744	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-6400 / LPDDR5x-8400
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	20

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 5 210H) / VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core Ultra 5 225U). The Core Ultra 5 225U includes integrated graphics (Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores)), while the Core 5 210H requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 225U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 225U rivals Ryzen 5 8640U.