Core Ultra 5 225U vs Core Ultra 5 236V

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 225U

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 17W, a 3W 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 Ultra 5 236V needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core Ultra 5 236V

2024

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,313 vs 18,434).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌21.4% higher power demand at 17W vs 14W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 225U

2025

Core Ultra 5 236V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 14W instead of 17W, a 3W 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 Ultra 5 236V needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 225U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,313 vs 18,434).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌21.4% higher power demand at 17W vs 14W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 225U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 225U better than Core Ultra 5 236V?

Yes. Core Ultra 5 225U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% 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 225U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.1% more average FPS across 4 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 225U is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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 18.1% 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), 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 14 threads instead of 8/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 225U Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 5 236V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225U	Core Ultra 5 236V
1080p
low	277 FPS	180 FPS
medium	248 FPS	147 FPS
high	210 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	148 FPS
medium	185 FPS	118 FPS
high	152 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	83 FPS
medium	131 FPS	71 FPS
high	101 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	45 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225U Open Core Ultra 5 236V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225U	Core Ultra 5 236V
1080p
low	420 FPS	212 FPS
medium	335 FPS	176 FPS
high	295 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	358 FPS	181 FPS
medium	296 FPS	154 FPS
high	266 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	278 FPS	137 FPS
medium	237 FPS	122 FPS
high	219 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225U Open Core Ultra 5 236V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225U	Core Ultra 5 236V
1080p
low	461 FPS	458 FPS
medium	461 FPS	458 FPS
high	461 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	458 FPS
1440p
low	461 FPS	458 FPS
medium	461 FPS	458 FPS
high	461 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	458 FPS
4K
low	461 FPS	458 FPS
medium	461 FPS	458 FPS
high	409 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225U Open Core Ultra 5 236V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 225U	Core Ultra 5 236V
1080p
low	461 FPS	458 FPS
medium	461 FPS	458 FPS
high	461 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	458 FPS
1440p
low	461 FPS	458 FPS
medium	461 FPS	458 FPS
high	461 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	458 FPS
4K
low	461 FPS	458 FPS
medium	461 FPS	458 FPS
high	461 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 225U Open Core Ultra 5 236V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 225U and Core Ultra 5 236V

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.

Core Ultra 5 236V

The Core Ultra 5 236V 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 4.7 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: 18,313 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 225U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Core Ultra 5 236V offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core Ultra 5 225U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 225U versus 4.7 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 236V — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 225U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 225U uses the Arrow Lake-U (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 236V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 225U scores 18,434 against the Core Ultra 5 236V's 18,313 — a 0.7% lead for the Core Ultra 5 225U. L3 cache: 12 MB on the Core Ultra 5 225U vs 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 236V.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 225U	Core Ultra 5 236V
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+50%	8 / 8
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+2%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+14%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	2.5 MB (per core)
Process	5 nm	3 nm-40%
Architecture	Arrow Lake-U (2025)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	18,434	18,313
Geekbench 6 Single	2,374	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,846	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 225U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core Ultra 5 236V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 225U	Core Ultra 5 236V
Socket	FCBGA2049	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
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: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Core Ultra 5 225U) / not specified (Core Ultra 5 236V). The Core Ultra 5 225U includes integrated graphics (Intel Graphics (4 Xe Cores)), while the Core Ultra 5 236V requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 225U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 225U rivals Ryzen 5 8640U.