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 226V

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,041 vs 18,500).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.3 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +100.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 24.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 61.3 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅250% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
49.7% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.

Core Ultra 5 226V

2024

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $149 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +100.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 24.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.4 vs 61.3 PassMark/$ ($449 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
✅250% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7800X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,041 vs 18,500).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.3 vs 76.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
49.7% HIGHER MSRP
$449 MSRPvs$300 MSRP
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7800X3D better than Core Ultra 5 226V?

Yes. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 100.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 104.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 86.4% higher 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, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 100.3% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 96 MB vs 8 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the better fit. You are getting 104.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1100% larger total L3 cache (96 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 7800X3D is 49.7% more expensive on MSRP at $449 MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and it gives you a 100.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 24.5% better value on MSRP (76.4 vs 61.3 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 3D V-Cache and a much larger 96 MB L3 cache instead of 8 MB and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/8. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 226V Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	180 FPS	266 FPS
medium	145 FPS	247 FPS
high	117 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	258 FPS
medium	117 FPS	215 FPS
high	95 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	179 FPS
medium	71 FPS	149 FPS
high	57 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	212 FPS	857 FPS
medium	176 FPS	735 FPS
high	158 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	491 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	715 FPS
medium	154 FPS	607 FPS
high	142 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	396 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	393 FPS
medium	122 FPS	337 FPS
high	115 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	271 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	460 FPS	857 FPS
medium	460 FPS	857 FPS
high	460 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	857 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	857 FPS
medium	460 FPS	851 FPS
high	460 FPS	786 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	558 FPS
medium	384 FPS	479 FPS
high	343 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
1080p
low	460 FPS	857 FPS
medium	460 FPS	857 FPS
high	460 FPS	857 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	782 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	857 FPS
medium	460 FPS	760 FPS
high	460 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	618 FPS
medium	460 FPS	556 FPS
high	460 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	428 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 226V Open Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 226V and Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Core Ultra 5 226V

The Core Ultra 5 226V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,400 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 96 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 34,293 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 226V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 226V versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D (base: 2.1 GHz vs 4.4 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 226V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 226V scores 18,400 against the Ryzen 7 7800X3D's 34,293 — a 60.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,041 vs 18,500 (68.7% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,962 vs 2,700, a 31.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,898 vs 15,000 (155.1% advantage for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 226V vs 96 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	4.4 GHz+110%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	96 MB (total)+1100%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+150%	1 MB (per core)
Process	3 nm-40%	5 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	18,400	34,293+86%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,041	18,500+105%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,962	2,700+38%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	15,000+690%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 226V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5X-8533 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 5 226V) vs 28 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 5 226V) and X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 7800X3D).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Socket	FCBGA2833	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5X-8533	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	128 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	28+250%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 226V) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). Both include integrated graphics — Arc 130V (Core Ultra 5 226V) and AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core) (Ryzen 7 7800X3D) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 7800X3D targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7800X3D rivals Intel Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 226V	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Arc 130V	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 226V launched at $300 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D debuted at $449. On MSRP ($300 vs $449), the Core Ultra 5 226V is $149 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 226V delivers 61.3 pts/$ vs 76.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D — making the Ryzen 7 7800X3D the 21.8% better value option.