Core Ultra 7 255HX vs Ryzen 7 3700X

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 255HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2114 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc Xe-LPG, while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 49,765).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 255HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 255HX moves to FCBGA2114 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 255HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 7 255HX

2025

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2114 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel Arc Xe-LPG, while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 49,765).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 255HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 255HX moves to FCBGA2114 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 255HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 255HX better than Ryzen 7 3700X?

Yes. Core Ultra 7 255HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 121.9% 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 7 255HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 0.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 7 255HX is the better fit. You are getting 121.9% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 20 threads.

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

Core Ultra 7 255HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 3700X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core Ultra 7 255HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 3700X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Core Ultra 7 255HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2019), a healthier platform with FCBGA2114 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 20 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 Ultra 7 255HX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255HX	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	280 FPS	200 FPS
medium	272 FPS	163 FPS
high	228 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	156 FPS
medium	193 FPS	121 FPS
high	156 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	151 FPS	84 FPS
medium	129 FPS	71 FPS
high	99 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255HX Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255HX	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	673 FPS	561 FPS
medium	574 FPS	525 FPS
high	483 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	438 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	584 FPS	545 FPS
medium	515 FPS	471 FPS
high	434 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	345 FPS	350 FPS
medium	310 FPS	304 FPS
high	292 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	254 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255HX Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255HX	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	839 FPS	561 FPS
medium	685 FPS	561 FPS
high	610 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	522 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	727 FPS	561 FPS
medium	596 FPS	561 FPS
high	519 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	515 FPS	499 FPS
medium	434 FPS	394 FPS
high	394 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255HX Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 255HX	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	995 FPS	561 FPS
medium	901 FPS	561 FPS
high	782 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	709 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	814 FPS	561 FPS
medium	724 FPS	561 FPS
high	627 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	555 FPS	561 FPS
medium	501 FPS	501 FPS
high	449 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 255HX Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 255HX and Ryzen 7 3700X

Core Ultra 7 255HX

The Core Ultra 7 255HX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2025-01-01. It is based on the Arrow Lake-HX (2025) architecture. It features 20 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2114. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 49,765 points. Launch price was $450.

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. 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: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 255HX packs 20 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core Ultra 7 255HX has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 255HX versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 255HX (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 255HX uses the Arrow Lake-HX (2025) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 255HX scores 49,765 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 75.7% lead for the Core Ultra 7 255HX. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 255HX vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 255HX	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	20 / 20+150%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+18%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)	32 MB+7%
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)+500%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-HX (2025)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	49,765+122%	22,430
Geekbench 6 Single	2,923	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	16,885	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 255HX uses the FCBGA2114 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6400 on the Core Ultra 7 255HX versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 3700X — the Core Ultra 7 255HX supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core Ultra 7 255HX supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel HM870,Intel WM880 (Core Ultra 7 255HX) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X).

Feature	Core Ultra 7 255HX	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	FCBGA2114	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB+50%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core Ultra 7 255HX) / not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X). The Core Ultra 7 255HX includes integrated graphics (Intel Arc Xe-LPG), while the Ryzen 7 3700X requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 7 255HX rivals Ryzen 9 9850HX.