Core Ultra 7 155U vs Ryzen 5 3600

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 7 155U

2023

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,185 vs 17,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 7 155U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 7 155U.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,185 vs 17,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 3600 better than Core Ultra 7 155U?

Yes. Ryzen 5 3600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.3% average FPS lead across 44 shared CPU game tests in our data and 9.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 3600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.3% more average FPS across 44 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 3600 is the better fit. You are getting 9.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 3600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 3600 is at an unclear MSRP at $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 4.3% average FPS lead across 44 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2019) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 7 155U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	276 FPS	200 FPS
medium	248 FPS	161 FPS
high	209 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	154 FPS
medium	185 FPS	119 FPS
high	152 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	160 FPS	70 FPS
medium	130 FPS	58 FPS
high	100 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	214 FPS	442 FPS
medium	176 FPS	404 FPS
high	159 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	420 FPS
medium	155 FPS	359 FPS
high	143 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	297 FPS
medium	124 FPS	259 FPS
high	118 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	201 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	405 FPS	442 FPS
medium	405 FPS	442 FPS
high	405 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	405 FPS	442 FPS
medium	405 FPS	442 FPS
high	405 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	442 FPS
medium	405 FPS	361 FPS
high	405 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 155U	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	405 FPS	442 FPS
medium	405 FPS	442 FPS
high	405 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	405 FPS	442 FPS
medium	405 FPS	442 FPS
high	405 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	442 FPS
medium	405 FPS	442 FPS
high	405 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	403 FPS	357 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 155U Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 155U and Ryzen 5 3600

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.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 155U packs 12 cores / 14 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 7 155U has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 155U versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 155U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 155U uses the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 155U scores 16,185 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 8.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 155U vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 155U	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	12 / 14+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+14%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	3.6 GHz+112%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Meteor Lake-P (2023)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	16,185	17,685+9%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 155U uses the FCBGA2049 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 155U	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	FCBGA2049	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	24

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core Ultra 7 155U) / Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.