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 i7-10700

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 630, while Core Ultra 7 155U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 7 155U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,067 vs 16,185).
❌Launch MSRP is still $365 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-10700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-10700.

Core i7-10700

2020

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 630, while Core Ultra 7 155U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 7 155U.

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,067 vs 16,185).
❌Launch MSRP is still $365 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-10700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-10700.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-10700 better than Core Ultra 7 155U?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-10700 is ahead with a 7.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 7 155U pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Core i7-10700 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 7 155U is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 14 threads.

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

Core i7-10700 is the smarter buy today. Core i7-10700 is at an unclear MSRP at $365 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Core Ultra 7 155U is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.7% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (44.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core Ultra 7 155U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 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 i7-10700 Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 155U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-10700	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	292 FPS	276 FPS
medium	259 FPS	248 FPS
high	219 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	230 FPS
medium	191 FPS	185 FPS
high	157 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	160 FPS
medium	135 FPS	130 FPS
high	104 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i7-10700 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-10700	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	402 FPS	214 FPS
medium	402 FPS	176 FPS
high	402 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	363 FPS	140 FPS
1440p
low	402 FPS	181 FPS
medium	402 FPS	155 FPS
high	360 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	352 FPS	141 FPS
medium	295 FPS	124 FPS
high	273 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	101 FPS

Open Core i7-10700 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-10700	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	402 FPS	405 FPS
medium	402 FPS	405 FPS
high	402 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	402 FPS	405 FPS
medium	402 FPS	405 FPS
high	402 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	402 FPS	405 FPS
medium	402 FPS	405 FPS
high	396 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i7-10700 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-10700	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	402 FPS	405 FPS
medium	402 FPS	405 FPS
high	402 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	402 FPS	405 FPS
medium	402 FPS	405 FPS
high	402 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	402 FPS	405 FPS
medium	402 FPS	405 FPS
high	402 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	402 FPS	403 FPS

Open Core i7-10700 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-10700 and Core Ultra 7 155U

Core i7-10700

The Core i7-10700 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 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 16,067 points. Launch price was $340.

Core Ultra 7 155U

The Core Ultra 7 155U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,185 points. Launch price was $490.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-10700 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 155U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 7 155U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i7-10700 versus 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 155U — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.9 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i7-10700 uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 155U uses Meteor Lake-P (2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-10700 scores 16,067 against the Core Ultra 7 155U's 16,185 — a 0.7% lead for the Core Ultra 7 155U. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-10700 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 155U.

Feature	Core i7-10700	Core Ultra 7 155U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 14+50%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+71%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+33%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Meteor Lake-P (2023)
PassMark	16,067	16,185
Cinebench R23 Multi	12,250	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,597	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,926	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-10700 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 7 155U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-10700	Core Ultra 7 155U
Socket	LGA1200	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-10700) / not specified (Core Ultra 7 155U). The Core i7-10700 includes integrated graphics (UHD 630), while the Core Ultra 7 155U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-10700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-10700 rivals Ryzen 7 3700X.