Core Ultra 5 235U vs Ryzen 7 4980U

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 235U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 15W, a 1W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,397 vs 17,469).

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 235U across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 235U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 235U

2025

Ryzen 7 4980U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 15W, a 1W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,397 vs 17,469).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 235U across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 235U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 235U better than Ryzen 7 4980U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core Ultra 5 235U is ahead with a 16.2% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4980U pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark. Core Ultra 5 235U also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4980U is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 235U still looks like the safer overall buy. Core Ultra 5 235U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 16.2% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Core Ultra 5 235U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB). 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 235U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 4980U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235U	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	277 FPS	171 FPS
medium	248 FPS	142 FPS
high	210 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	147 FPS
medium	185 FPS	120 FPS
high	152 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	83 FPS
medium	131 FPS	73 FPS
high	101 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235U Open Ryzen 7 4980U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235U	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	416 FPS	198 FPS
medium	335 FPS	164 FPS
high	295 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	131 FPS
1440p
low	354 FPS	172 FPS
medium	296 FPS	146 FPS
high	266 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	115 FPS
4K
low	276 FPS	138 FPS
medium	237 FPS	122 FPS
high	219 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	99 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235U Open Ryzen 7 4980U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235U	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	435 FPS	437 FPS
medium	435 FPS	437 FPS
high	435 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	435 FPS	437 FPS
medium	435 FPS	437 FPS
high	435 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	435 FPS	437 FPS
medium	435 FPS	388 FPS
high	409 FPS	340 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	277 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235U Open Ryzen 7 4980U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235U	Ryzen 7 4980U
1080p
low	435 FPS	437 FPS
medium	435 FPS	437 FPS
high	435 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	435 FPS	437 FPS
medium	435 FPS	437 FPS
high	435 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	430 FPS
4K
low	435 FPS	437 FPS
medium	435 FPS	415 FPS
high	435 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	309 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235U Open Ryzen 7 4980U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 235U and Ryzen 7 4980U

Core Ultra 5 235U

The Core Ultra 5 235U 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 4.9 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: 17,397 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 4980U

The Ryzen 7 4980U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,469 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 235U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4980U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 5 235U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 235U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4980U — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 235U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 235U uses the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4980U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 235U scores 17,397 against the Ryzen 7 4980U's 17,469 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 4980U. L3 cache: 12 MB on the Core Ultra 5 235U vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4980U.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235U	Ryzen 7 4980U
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	512 kB (per core)
Process	5 nm-29%	7 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-U (2025)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	17,397	17,469

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 235U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 4980U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.