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 i7-10700KF

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,380 vs 18,434).
❌Launch MSRP is still $405 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 225U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌792.9% higher power demand at 125W vs 14W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 225U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌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

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 14W instead of 125W, a 111W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores), while Core i7-10700KF needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Core i7-10700KF

2020

Core Ultra 5 225U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 14W instead of 125W, a 111W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores), while Core i7-10700KF needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,380 vs 18,434).
❌Launch MSRP is still $405 MSRP, while Core Ultra 5 225U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌792.9% higher power demand at 125W vs 14W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 225U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225U better than Core i7-10700KF?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-10700KF is ahead with a 11.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 225U pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark. Core i7-10700KF also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 225U is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 225U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i7-10700KF makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core Ultra 5 225U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $405 MSRP, and it gives you 0.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-10700KF is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 11.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-10700KF is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (45.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 225U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i7-10700KF Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 225U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-10700KF	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	302 FPS	277 FPS
medium	265 FPS	248 FPS
high	223 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	181 FPS
1440p
low	247 FPS	230 FPS
medium	195 FPS	185 FPS
high	160 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	161 FPS
medium	136 FPS	131 FPS
high	105 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-10700KF Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-10700KF	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	460 FPS	420 FPS
medium	460 FPS	335 FPS
high	457 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	358 FPS
medium	460 FPS	296 FPS
high	422 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	278 FPS
medium	342 FPS	237 FPS
high	320 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	188 FPS

Open Core i7-10700KF Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-10700KF	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	460 FPS	461 FPS
medium	460 FPS	461 FPS
high	460 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	461 FPS
medium	460 FPS	461 FPS
high	460 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	461 FPS
medium	460 FPS	461 FPS
high	432 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i7-10700KF Open Core Ultra 5 225U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-10700KF	Core Ultra 5 225U
1080p
low	460 FPS	461 FPS
medium	460 FPS	461 FPS
high	460 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	461 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	461 FPS
medium	460 FPS	461 FPS
high	460 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	461 FPS
medium	460 FPS	461 FPS
high	460 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	410 FPS

Open Core i7-10700KF Open Core Ultra 5 225U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-10700KF and Core Ultra 5 225U

Core i7-10700KF

The Core i7-10700KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 18,380 points. Launch price was $299.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-10700KF packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 225U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 5 225U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i7-10700KF versus 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225U — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-10700KF (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-10700KF uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 225U uses Arrow Lake-U (2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-10700KF scores 18,380 against the Core Ultra 5 225U's 18,434 — a 0.3% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225U. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-10700KF vs 12 MB on the Core Ultra 5 225U.

Feature	Core i7-10700KF	Core Ultra 5 225U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 14+50%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+6%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+58%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+33%	12 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Arrow Lake-U (2025)
PassMark	18,380	18,434
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,374
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	7,846

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-10700KF uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 225U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-10700KF	Core Ultra 5 225U
Socket	LGA1200	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

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-10700KF) / 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 i7-10700KF requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 225U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 225U rivals Ryzen 5 8640U.